hulks go to a paper mill, a few miles away, and are converted into a
first class paper. A few decades ago an entirely new paper process was
invented. Where straw was once used for making so-called strawboard or
cardboard, the finest commercial papers are now being made from the
straw grown right here. We no longer annihilate our forests, to make
paper pulp. Since the invention of the straw paper process, chopping
trees for paper purposes has been forbidden and all the paper in this
country is now made exclusively of straw chemically treated."
A potato farm was seen the same afternoon. The processes in this
and other vegetable growing plants being under somewhat different
conditions than the wheat farm.
It was dark when Alice and Ralph returned to wheat farm No. D1569, and
found that the manager of the plant had prepared an elaborate supper
for the two, informing Alice that _everything_ set before her had been
grown the same day. The whole wheat bread had been harvested that
morning, the grains had been artificially aged by heat, flour had been
made, and the bread had just been baked. He said, somewhat proudly,
that this was probably a record.
The entire meal consisted of vegetables, all grown in plants in the
vicinity. There were fresh peas, fresh asparagus, new potatoes, fresh
lettuce, juicy apples, and many delicacies.
For dessert the manager brought in, on a great silver tray, a number
of new crossfoods, which as yet had not been seen in the open market.
There was, the _appear_, a cross between an apple and a pear, which
had all the good qualities of the apple and all the good qualities of
the pear. There was also a delightful combination of plum and cherry,
a cantaloupe with a faint taste of orange, and cherries as big as a
good-sized plum.
Tea was served from tea leaves grown in one of the farms and harvested
the same day. The manager also showed Alice cigarettes and set before
Ralph a box of cigars, made from tobacco planted and harvested that
day. The leaves had been aged rapidly by dry heat in a partial vacuum.
Both thanked the manager for the novel treat. After dining they walked
into the wheat growing farm. It was now dark outside, but in the
hothouse, the wheat for miles and miles seemed to be aglow in a light
purple haze. A faint half-crackling, half-swishing sound was heard. The
points of the wheat seemed to be almost luminous.
"This is the night appearance of the electricity you felt this
afternoon," said Ralph. "During the daytime you do not see the faint
discharge, but in darkness it becomes luminous. One pole of the high
frequency generator is connected with the soil and the other with the
steel framework of the hothouse. Without this electric current we would
not be able to grow more than two, or at the utmost, three crops a year.
"It is also necessary to vary the strength of the current during
the day. With full sunshine and maximum heat we do not need as much
current as we use during the night. Several hundred years ago when
using somewhat similar methods that had not as yet been perfected, it
was necessary to use artificial light during the night, as plants need
light for growth. We found, however, that the electric current with the
soft light which you see glowing now, is sufficient for the purpose and
the plant does not require any other light."
Alice stood for many minutes silently watching the beautiful sight of
the glowing purple field, listening to the faint crackling discharge of
the electric current as it leaped from the points of the wheat into the
air. They finally left and flew back to New York.
The next day, Ralph took Alice to one of the city's Synthetic Food
Laboratories. While flying toward it, Ralph explained that while the
farms which they had looked over yesterday were for the purpose of
raising real foodstuffs, there were many commodities that could not be
so raised, such as sugar, milk, and many others, which were now made
synthetically. As chemists had known for many hundreds of years, sugar
was nothing but a simple carbohydrate, whereas milk was composed of
an emulsified mixture of casein, lactic acid, butter, water and minor
constituents.
As the population increased, it was neither possible, nor profitable
to obtain these foods by natural means, and it was found necessary to
resort to the chemist.
They alighted at one of these chemical laboratories which manufactured
sugar, milk, cooking fats, butter and cheese.
There was really not much to see, save large boiler-like chemical
retorts, large white enameled vats, and a lot of pumps and electric
motors. The manager explained that sugar was made out of sawdust and
acids. The sawdust, he explained, was digested in the huge white
enameled steel vats by means of certain acids. After the digesting
process was completed other chemicals were added, the ensuing syrup
then being run through retorts and finally emerging as a stream of
white liquid sugar.
The manager handed Alice a piece of clear, transparent sugar, as well
as several specimens of crystallized sugar, which she ate delightedly,
exclaiming laughingly that "it was the best sawdust she had ever eaten."
They next visited the synthetic milk section, where hundreds of
thousands of gallons of milk were produced every day. This being a
recent discovery the manager explained it in detail.
"Milk," he said, "has been known since the dawn of humanity, but only
when man became somewhat civilized did he learn how to obtain milk from
animals, such as the goat and the cow. It took thousands of years to
domesticate these animals, and it is not known at what period man first
began to milk these domestic animals for his own supply of milk.
"Men of an inquisitive nature must have asked themselves the question
for thousands of years, 'Why grow grass, let the cow eat the grass,
digest it, and finally turn it into milk? Why not eliminate the
cow entirely?' The thought, while elementary, had no actual basis
or foundation for centuries, because the chemical processes of the
intermediate stages between the grass and the final milk were too
complicated and were not at all well understood. Only during the last
few years has the problem been solved satisfactorily.
"Now we grow the fresh grass, which we put into these large retorts,
where the grass is digested just the same as if it were in the stomach
of the cow. By the addition of salts and chemicals we imitate this
digestive process, and by eliminating solids and the liquids, we
finally get a milk that is not only better than the original cow or
goat milk, but has many qualities not possessed by cow's milk.
"Try this glass of artificial milk," he said to Alice, handing her a
glass of rather unappetizing-looking liquid of a slightly pale green
color, not too clean looking and somewhat thick. Alice tasted it,
however, and found that it tasted exactly like a good rich cow's milk.
The manager asked Alice to close her eyes and take a good drink. She
did so, and exclaimed in surprise that it tasted exactly like rich,
creamy milk.
The manager then explained that synthetic milk was free from the
bacteria which give milk its white color. Moreover, the fat content was
much higher than cow's milk, and, there being a greater percentage of
sugar present, the milk tasted sweeter. Certain added salts gave it a
distinguishing taste.
From this milk, he further explained, any sort of fat could be
extracted, and the usual array of milk products, such as butter, all
sorts of cheeses, etc., could be made much better than from cow's milk,
which never ran uniform.
After inspecting the laboratory, Alice and Ralph sampled a number of
products, all of which tasted excellent--better, if anything, than
the natural products. The manager added "You will find our synthetic
products are far easier to digest, and are more wholesome than the
natural product. The reason is that we have eliminated all of the
disease-carrying microbes and bacteria, retaining only the beneficial
ones, which we can control very easily in our plants, more than the cow
or goat can do."
7
THE END OF MONEY
A few days later, Alice, while rolling along one of the elevated
streets of the city with Ralph, inquired how the present monetary
system had been evolved: "You know," she confided, "I know very little
of economics."
"Well," said Ralph, "all monetary systems of the past or present are
based on one principle--the exchange of one thing for another. At
first it was simply a bartering or swapping of such things as a goat
for a pig, or a string of beads for a piece of cloth. Only much later
did money evolve. Before we had coins, certain rare shells were used
as tokens. Still later, precious metal was exchanged for goods, using
the weight of the metal as a basis. Later on, coins were developed,
and still later on, paper money replaced part of the coins. Where the
shells, the precious metals, and, later the metal coins, had intrinsic
value, the paper money had no such value. The public accepted with
faith and confidence a piece of paper across which was printed the
guarantee that the bearer of it would receive so many metal dollars
in exchange for the piece of paper. The paper money was built upon
confidence that the people had in the government issuing the paper
money.
"Very few people ever thought of going to a bank or to the
government's treasury to exchange the paper money for gold or silver
coins. Instead, they freely circulated this paper money among
themselves, and after people became accustomed to it, they accepted the
paper money to the practical exclusion of gold and silver. Particularly
in the former United States did this system reach a high development,
more so than in old Europe, where paper money was used in conjunction
with gold or silver coins.
"In the United States, however, nothing but paper money was eventually
used, even to the exclusion of the smallest coins. Whereas up to a
certain period the dollar bill was the smallest paper money unit used,
this was later split into the former coins of fifty cents, twenty-five
cents, ten cents, five cents, and one cent. It was found that small
paper bills the size of former postage stamps were not very practical
when issued in separate pieces, so the printed tape coins, which we
have today, came into extensive use.
"The small metal box you carry, and from which you unroll your printed
perforated tape, still represents the old paper money. When you,
therefore, make a purchase today and you unroll fifty cents in ten cent
denominations on your perforated roll, you are using a portion of the
old system.
"But the real monetary system is built upon confidence. It could not
be otherwise today because we have no more precious metals. When,
about 95 years ago, the Frenchman P865 + finished the transmutation of
all the precious metals, the death-knell of the old monetary system
was sounded. Everybody could make gold and silver for less than iron
used to cost in the old days. Consequently, if you had a one hundred
dollar bill that said on its face that you could exchange it for one
hundred dollars' worth of gold, you could have gone to the treasury
and received five twenty dollar gold pieces, which, however, were not
worth more, perhaps, than one or two cents. So of what use was the one
hundred dollar bill?[6]
"When P865 + made his announcement, it caused neither panic nor
confusion. Several centuries prior there would have been panic, but the
world had been progressing in knowledge, and understood that commerce
and economics are stabilized by confidence.
"There is only one thing in this world that has a real value, and that
is man's work. You can replace almost everything else with something
else, but you can not replace labor. The modern economic structure is,
therefore, reared entirely upon man's work.
"When the check came into use, in the 19th century the monetary system
underwent a great change. Instead of people paying what they owed by
means of coins or banknotes, they took to paying each other by means of
a written piece of paper--the check. Billions upon billions of dollars
and cents changed hands, simply by signing a check to some one else,
the check clearing through the bank. While one account was credited,
another was debited. There was little actual money that changed hands,
either between the man who wrote the check and the man who received it,
or even between the banks who cleared the checks. In other words, this
entire check system was based upon credit. You received a check for one
hundred dollars from a man who owed you one hundred dollars. You took
this check in good faith because you knew that he must have the one
hundred dollars in the bank--otherwise he probably would not make out
the check. You sent the check to your bank, which, in turn, collected
it from the bank in which your debtor had his account. In all these
transactions no real money ever changed hands. It was credit, pure and
simple, all the way through.
"So when P865 + demonstrated his synthetic metals, the situation did
not change at all. The people appreciated the fact that the government,
in one way or another, must be good, and that although the money
reserves as figured in metal dollars and cents had become valueless,
every one knew that the country was not founded and based upon
valueless metals alone. Incidentally, no government, the entire world
over, could have redeemed in gold or silver coin all of its outstanding
obligations.
"Therefore, when gold and silver became practically valueless, nothing
happened, because actual coins were no longer used, and every one used
checks, so that even banknotes had become obsolete.
"But, with the devaluation of the so-called 'precious' metals the
governments substituted other values. This was done at first by setting
fixed values on property, such as real estate, buildings, manufacturing
plants, etc. Valuations of these were made several times a year, and
whoever owned such properties was given a 'State-value certificate.'
A building, valued at $50,000, was appraised by the state three or
four times or more, a year, and a certificate was given to you which
you took to your bank, the latter immediately crediting you with
part of the $50,000. If you wanted to sell your property to a friend
for $50,000 or more, you would take his check and then, demand from
your bank the return of the original deed, which in turn would be
transferred to your friend. In that case your bank would credit you
with the $50,000 check of your friend, while he would have the property.
"Of course the illustration which I gave is not exactly accurate, for
the reason that you could not get from your bank the exact amount of
the valuation of whatever realty changed hands. The bank advanced
about seventy percent of the appraised value, with certain exceptions.
This also was in no wise different from the way our ancestors were
accustomed to do, because in the old days such a transaction would
simply have been called a mortgage. The important difference, however,
later on, was that the valuation was made by the state and such
valuation was final. This tended to stabilize real estate and property
valuations.
"Merchandise, today, is bought and sold the same as it was bought
and sold centuries ago, and that is by check. So is everything
else, including labor. Every workman is, of course, paid by check,
which check he can use either in his own bank account or for buying
merchandise from his grocer or tailor, getting the difference in a
check or otherwise in fractional paper tape coin.
"These government paper tape coins and banknotes--the few that are
being used--instead of being covered by gold and silver bullion, are
now covered by real estate bonds or other tangible property."
"But," Alice asked, "suppose there were a panic, as described in some
of the ancient books, and everybody ran to the bank at once to get his
money, what would happen?"
"Nothing," said Ralph. "Absolutely nothing. Suppose there was a
'panic,' as you call it. In the first place, why should there be one?
There is no reason for it and no one nowadays would think of running to
the bank and getting his or her 'money.' There is no 'money,' as you
call it.
"Remember, the banks are all under government control, and if a bank
should fail, which no bank has done for the last four hundred years,
the government would be obliged to make good the shortage out of its
own resources. If everybody ran simultaneously to every bank throughout
the country, a bank would simply make out a check for each total
balance, and pass out a check for the amount. Then the next morning, as
the people could not eat their checks for breakfast, they would have
to do one of two things: either take the check back to the bank and
redeposit it, or exchange the check for commodities.
"That means that within twenty-four hours all the checks would have
found their way back to the banks and things would be just exactly
where they had left off before the 'run' on the bank. As banks are no
longer under the necessity of paying in coin or banknotes, but under
the law can pay by check, there is no reason why any one should wish to
make a 'run' on the bank, simply to get a check."
"But," Alice persisted, "suppose you draw out more than you have to
your credit? Suppose you write out a check for more than you have in
the bank? What happens then?"
"You probably can answer that just as well as I can," replied Ralph.
"To do so is a prison offense, and again, it would do you no good,
because following the first offense you would get a warning from the
government, and at the second such offense you would get a still
stronger warning, and on the third, you would go to jail, because the
first two offenses could perhaps be mistakes, but the third could not.
On top of this, your account would be withdrawn from all banks and you
would not be able to open another account again for ten years, because
all checks as you know, are identified with fingerprints in addition to
the signature. The fingerprint experts of the government would prevent
you from opening another account in any bank anywhere in the country.
So no one abuses his checking privilege and writes out checks when
there are no funds to his credit."
A few days later Ralph took Alice to one of the great industrial
artificial cloth works. They flew to Pennsylvania, where the great
artificial silk, cotton, and wool mills were located. Ralph explained
that during the 20th century silk had finally been made artificially
from wood and chemicals. This was then known as artificial silk. But
only during the last century had it been possible to manufacture
artificial cotton and artificial wool, synthetically from wood and
other chemicals. Moreover, they wore better than real cotton and real
wool.
In the enormous plant were immense tanks in which the raw materials
were first cooked and then treated by chemicals until the fibers issued
in fine microscopic streams from nozzles under hydraulic pressure, the
threads were then wound on huge reels. From here the hanks were sent to
the spinneries and cloth-weaving mills.
Of particular interest was the new kind of cloth, which was much
fighter than wool or cotton, and, at the same time, cooler in summer
and warmer in winter. This material was made from cork, which was first
pulverized and then afterwards digested by means of chemicals. Under
hydraulic pressure, a somewhat thick thread was obtained, which had
all the good properties of cork, but none of its poor ones. This cork
thread, when woven into cloth, made a texture both light and durable,
had a velvety touch to the fingers, and being a poor heat conductor,
protected the wearer from heat in the summer and cold in the winter.
A number of combinations were made whereby cork thread and silk thread
were spun together, giving an entirely new product, with all the
virtues of silk as well as those of cork.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 6: When this was written gold coins were legal tender. Gold
payments were outlawed by Congress in 1933.]
8
THE MENACE OF THE INVISIBLE CLOAK
Leaving the Pennsylvania mills the aeroflyer, traveling at high speed
landed the party within a very short time on one of the tall landing
buildings in New York. Ralph and Alice made their way down to the
elevated roadway, where, at Ralph's suggestion they put on their _power
skates_, for, as he explained smilingly, it was but a short distance
to his home and the exercise would do them both good and give them an
appetite for luncheon.
When they were but a little way from their destination Ralph became
conscious of a faint hissing sound close behind them. Twice he glanced
over his shoulder, but the roadway at that hour--it was just before
noon--was deserted.
Yet the sibilant sound persisted, seeming to be getting closer and
closer, like some persevering insect about to alight.
Alice apparently heard nothing, or perhaps she thought it merely one
of the noises of the street, for she chattered on in the gay animated
fashion that was one of her charms, oblivious to the fact that the man
at her side was so preoccupied that he scarcely replied to her.
For Ralph had now satisfied himself that there was nothing anywhere
around them which could cause that untiring pursuant hiss. Then from
what secret invisible source did it emanate--and why?
To the scientist, accustomed to explaining the unexplainable, it was
ominous--menacing--
Again he turned to look behind him, along the deserted way, and at that
moment he heard a stifled cry from the girl beside him. He whirled to
face her, and faced--nothing! He was alone in the empty street!
Unbelieving, doubting the evidence of his eyes, he stared about
him, too astounded for the moment, by this mystifying and amazing
disappearance to think collectively.
Above him the sun shone in a clear blue sky, before and behind him
stretched the still roadway. Then he was aware of the silence, the
deadly quiet. For the hissing had receded into nothingness, and with
it, Alice.
As the full force of the catastrophe struck him, something akin to
panic seized him. Danger to himself he could have faced with the calm
courage of a brave man, but this unseen and unexpected blow from an
invisible source aimed at the girl so close and dear to his heart smote
him with a chill terror that for an instant held him powerless in its
grip.
That he should have been careless when she was in danger--but this was
no time for self-reproaches. To act, and to act at once--that was vital.
Thoughts of high frequency radio waves--of X-rays--of Fernand--
"Fernand!" he exclaimed aloud, and with the name coherent thought
returned. Putting on all possible speed he covered the distance to his
home in a few seconds and dashed up to his laboratory, the while his
swiftly-working brain attacked the greatest personal problem that it
had ever been called upon to solve.
Having experimented with ultra-short waves, he knew that it was
possible to create total transparency of any object if the object could
be made to vibrate approximately at the same rate as light. He was
familiar with the theory, and although he had worked on it at times,
he had never seen a practical demonstration of it.[7] He realized a
machine was in the hands of someone, intent on kidnapping Alice. He
knew, too, that a police description would be flashed within a radius
of thousands of miles instantly, it would be necessary for the abductor
to keep Alice invisible for some time to come, for fear of some one
seeing and recognizing her. All this flashed through his mind as he
assembled a detecting apparatus consisting of a portable aerial and a
small box containing a few radio instruments and a pair of headphones.
The aerial, by being rotated, could determine the point from which
the waves emanated. In ten minutes Ralph had the apparatus rigged up
and began rotating the aerial, until a roaring noise was heard in the
telephones. He knew that this must be the apparatus producing the
invisibility, and within a few seconds he had dashed from the house on
his power skates, carrying the detector in front of him. Two of his
assistants accompanied him.
The pursuit was on. As they approached the kidnapper the sounds in the
telephones became stronger. They sped along Broadway, while the hastily
notified police kept the way open. The rising sound in the 'phones
clearly indicated they were headed directly toward the abductor.
They gained steadily on him while the rolling, flying police cleared
Ralph's way with their shrieking sirens, while the kidnapper had to
pick his way slowly through crowds.
The chase led them into a narrow street on the outskirts of the city.