"A change on your earth to our way, is about due, must it come through bloodshed? "Different forms of governments, ideologies, and systems of life are spreading like wildfire over your continents of Europe and Asia: starting in it's wake your world's aggressions, and a terrific race for all kinds of human destructive armaments. "Inimical armies are facing each other, in close physical proximity; don't you realize that at sometime a commander in his cups, may strike a spark that will engulf your whole world in a conflagration? Must you have a social upheaval and a human exterminating war before you realize what's good for you? "You have no other alternative, you must as soon as possible root out and outlaw your money systems, or face continual ferocious armed conflicts, and your eventual inevitable doom." "In the event of another war, win or lose, you are bound to lose, if your nation wins it will have a tremendous additional war cost burden; if it loses, those left of you will be burdened with an oppressive police regime with its consequent tortured confessions, purges, slavery and fear. "In spite of your apathy and blind pertinacious reluctance to hearken to logical counsel, evolution will ultimately save you. Inexorable nature has a way of its own; as the fishes of your waters fight against all strong currents and tides to reach their spawning grounds, and the birds of your sky fight against storms and winds to reach their nesting grounds, so will your humanity infallibly follow its natural dictates and instincts to drive and overcome your false civilizations and all your man-made seemingly invincible obstacles." When Sun-Rank Banard concluded his lecture, it left all of us facing a gloomy aspect, we were thoughtful for a few minutes. It took time for his remarks to penetrate. One doesn't change one's ideas, learned since childhood, in a few moments. But most of us realized the truth of his remarks, and on the way out, our conversations with each other proved that he had presented his points fairly convincingly and very logically. We quickly made our farewells and prepared to depart. I shall long remember my Martian friends, their sincere hospitality, and the delight they took in offering their best to us. I hated to leave Lieutenant Balmore. We had come a long way together since that chance meeting on the park bench. I realized I might never see him again since it was his and his crew's intentions to remain permanently on Mars. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 42: World Almanac, 1949, p. 268.] [Footnote 43: Editorial, _Reno Evening Gazette_, Feb. 16, 1949.] [Footnote 44: _Nevada State Journal_, Nov. 23, 1946, Merry-Go-Round, by Drew Pearson.] [Footnote 45: _Reno Evening Gazette_, Dec. 26, 1950.] CHAPTER X _Nonproducers_ After a very friendly parting with all our friends, we embarked on the Martian airship and were on our way to earth. We at once made a visit to our own plane which we found in perfect condition.