CONTENTS For May, 1961

THE ROMANCE OF SPACE ........................................................................................ WHAT IS TRUTH? .......................................................................................................... COUNTRY TO COUNTRY UNDERSTANDING ........................................................ MAGAZINES FOR FRIENDSHIP ................................................................................. EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION .............................................................................. LETTER TO THE EDITOR ............................................................................................ WHERE ARE WE GOING? ........................................................................................... bulletin board ........................................................................................................ TAPE DEPARTMENT .................................................................................................... 17

2 9 10 11 12 13 14

18

THE STAFF

EDITOR ........................................................................................... Dr. DANIEL W. FRY asst. editor ............................................................................. cleve twitchell circulation manager ........................................................... edna basmajian staff artist ................................................................................... gus tanasale

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UNDERSTANDING

VOLUME VI

MAY 1961

NUMBER 5

DEDICATED TO THE PROPAGATION OF A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH, AND OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT OF EARTH.

THE ROMANCE OF SPACE

(Daniel W. Fry, editor of Understanding, is currently producing a weekly television program entitled "The Romance of Space." It is being shown on KCDA-TV, Channel 3, in Douglas, Arizona. Following are the scripts of the third, four and fifth programs in the series, written by Dr. Fry.) The Moons of Mars Last week we discussed the nature of our own solar system, including the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. We paused here to give special consideration to the two moons of Mars. These moons are worthy of special consideration because they are, in several ways, unique among all of the known moons in the solar system. In the year 1726 a writer named Jonathan Swift published a book called Gullivers Travels. The book described a series of adventures which might be classed as an early form of `science fiction,' except that in several of the stories statements were made which have since proven to be amazingly prophetic. In one of these adventures the two moons of Mars are rather precisely described as to their size, their distance from the planet, and their periods of revolution. This description was quite remarkable, considering the fact that at that time Mars was not known to have any moons at all! It was not until 1877, 151 years later that Professor Asoph Hall, 2 UNDERSTANDING

using the 26 inch telescope of the U. S. Naval Observatory, first saw the two Martian moons, which were subsequently named Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is the closer of the two to the planet, revolving in its orbit at a distance of only 3,700 miles, which is considerably less than the diameter of Mars. It makes a complete revolution about the Planet every 7 hours, 39 minutes, or more than three times as fast as the parent planet rotates upon its axis. This fact sets it apart from all other moons in the solar system, since the only other sattelites which go around the parent planet faster than the planet itself revolves, are the artificial sattelites which the scientists of earth have launched into orbit during the last few years. This realization alone might well raise the suspicion that Phobos and Deimos are artificial rather than natural moons. There are however, a number of other factors which tend to reinforce this suspicion, once it has been raised. Phobos has a diameter of less than ten miles, while the outer moon, Deimos, is even smaller, having a diameter of not more than 5 miles. The fact is that the existence of Phobos as a natural satellite simply cannot be adequately explained by any presently accepted theory of celestial mechanics. It is much too small, much too close to the surface, and rotates much too rapidly. The mathematical probabilities against any theory of natural origin are millions to one, whereas if we assume an artificial origin we are able to explain, in detail and with perfect logic all of the observed data. About two years ago, a Russian astronomer published an article in which he stated that he was convinced beyond doubt that the moons of Mars were artificial satellites, placed in orbit many thousands of years ago by a race of intelligent beings, which he assumed had long since perished because of gradual loss of air and water from the Planet. I personally feel that there is a strong possibility that the astronomer may be correct, except that I see no reason to believe that the race has necessarily perished. If we assume a race of beings of sufficient

intelligence and engineering ability to span the entire planet with a complex system of waterways, and with sufficient advanced technology to enable its people to build and to place in orbit, sattelites having diameters of several miles, we must also assume that such a race would not tamely submit to extinction merely because of increasing rigors of environment. There is one significant fact which we must not overlook. The animal tends to adapt itself to the conditions of the environment, and any species MAY 1961 3

which fails to adapt will become extinct, but intelligent beings tend to adapt their environment to suit themselves, and usually succeed. Any race with the technological ability which the Martians have apparently displayed, would be able to chart the rate of loss of air and water centuries in advance, and would have ample time in which to construct closed systems which would retain the air and water indefinitely. The moons of mars, if they actually are artificial sattelites would be ideal closed systems within which several millions of people could live comfortably, with plenty of room for the manufacturing and chemical processes required to produce the necessities, the comforts and the luxuries of their lives. They would of course, live on the inside of the sattelite rather than upon the outside as we do on earth. If it seems that two million people would be crowded in a sphere 10 miles in diameter, remember that such a sphere contains more than 500 cubic miles of space, and if this space were divided equally between 2 million people, there would be more than 25 million cubic feet of space, or about the amount occupied by the Empire State building available to each person. If the energy of the sunlight which would fall upon such a sphere were converted to usable energy with an efficiency ratio of 50%, the available energy would amount to about 4 billion horse power, or about 2,000 horse power per person. Which should be ample energy to perform all of the services which they might require. Of course they might also employ many other energy sources. If we assume that the moons of Mars are artificial we must also assume that the race which created them achieved the ability to travel in space, perhaps thousands of years ago. They may have paid brief visits to our planet many times in the past but were, perhaps, discouraged from fraternizing by our obvious barbarity and lack of social development. Many of our early legends and some our written history seems to indicate that such visits have occurred. At the present time we can only speculate, but within a comparatively few years we will know the answers, because we are preparing to go out into space to find out for ourselves. The course which these efforts have taken in the past, and the course which they will probably take in the future will be the subject of our next program. So be with us next Saturday night when we will discuss, `Rockets, Past, Present and Future.' 4 UNDERSTANDING

The Romance of Space-Program No. 4

The average man of today has the impression that Rocketry is a relatively new branch of science, and one which stems principally from the efforts of German scientists, to develop super weapons during the closing years of the second World War. This impression arises from the impact which the successful development of the V2 weapons created in the public consciousness. For the first time, the public was forcibly made aware of the tremendous possibilities of the rocket, first as a weapon of war, second as an instrument of research, and finally as a possible means of escape from the rather irksome confines of this tiny planet. The actual origin of the art of Rocket making has been lost in antiquity. We know that the Chinese amused themselves with skyrockets during the Tang Dynasty which lasted from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D., and we have written records of the use of Rockets as military weapons during the Mongol siege of the City of Kai Fung Fu which occurred in the year 1232 A.D. Thus, the rocket, even as a military weapon, goes back more than seven hundred years. Long before the first cannon or rifle was made. Knowledge of the Chinese `arrows of flying fire' as they were called, was brought back to Italy by Marco Polo, and several other Italian adventurers who had traveled in the Orient. Italy was probably the first European nation to make rockets. In fact, it was in Italy that the word rocket originated. The first Italian fire missiles were rather thick in the middle, and tapered at each end, much like the distaff of a spinning wheel. The Italian word for distaff was rochetta, and because of the physical resemblance the missiles were given this name. From Italy, the art of missile making traveled to Germany where, because of the more guttural nature of the language the word Rochetta, became `Rockett.' In English the word has become rocket, but how many people know that our present day missiles are named after the distaff of a spinning wheel? Between 1800 and 1820 Sir William Congreve, the Official Weaponeer to the Crown of England, built the largest and most widely used military rockets of the period. They were used against Boulogne in 1806. Copenhagen in 1807 and Danzig in 1813. Probably Congreve's rockets are best known in this country for their use against Fort McHenry which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, which has since become our national anthem. MAY 1961 5

During the early part of World War One Dr. Robert H. Goddard received a small grant from the Smithsonian Institution for research and development in the military rocket field. In 1919 Dr. Goddard wrote a report outlining the progress which he and his small group had achieved. In this report, which he called `A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes," Dr. Goddard showed that a rocket with a gross weight of 22,000 pounds would be capable of escaping from the earth and of delivering an explosive charge to the moon. The somewhat prophetic nature of this statement becomes apparent when we learn that the Vanguard launching vehicle which we have built and used in the last few years weighs 22,000 pounds. In 1933 the German military High Command began an intensive program of development in military rockets. This program was placed under the direction of a young engineer and rocket enthusiast named Wernher Von Braun. He was 24 years of age at the time. In the twelve years between 1933 and 1945 the developments brought about by this group probably exceeded all of the development which had taken place in the rocket field during the previous 700 years. The program culminated in the development and production of the A4 missile, better known as the V2. This missile weighed 24,000 pounds, and had a maximum range of more than 100 miles with a one ton

warhead. More than 5,000 of these missiles had been built or were in the process of assembly when the war ended in Germany. 1,050 V2s had fallen on London and about 2,500 on other targets in Europe. It was the impact of these missiles which focused the mass consciousness of earth man upon the possibilities inherent in this new vehicle. After the surrender of Germany the German rocket technology was divided up between the United States and the Soviet Union, with the Soviet Union getting the `lions share' this loss to us was a tactical error on our part, since we had captured, and for a time had possession of the land area in which the German rocket development had taken place. We had, however agreed to turn this area over to Soviet control. Before relinquishing the area we invited Wernher Von Braun, Willey Ley and a few other top Rocket men to come to the United States to assist in our development program. We also gathered up several hundred V2s in various stages of completion and brought them with us. We left behind, however, the great bulk of the German technology, and the Soviet Union took quick and full advantage of our negligence. Every scientist, every engineer, every technician, and every laborer 6 UNDERSTANDING

who had had anything to do with the development of the German Rockets, were invited to join the Russian development program. Most of them had no choice. In the technological vacuum which existed in Germany at the time, there was nothing else that they could do. Any missile gap which may presently exist between the U.S. and the Soviet Union stems principally from the Soviet acquisition of the German art, although it must be said that both the Soviet and the United States missile programs have now become independent of any outside technology. Each nation has put a number of instrument packages into earth orbit; each has hurled missiles into independent orbit of the sun; and both are now preparing to send men into space, following in the path of the mice, the dogs, and the monkeys who have already been there. History is being made at a rate that would have been inconceivable a century ago. Man is achieving control over his environment at a rate that constantly amazes, even those who are foremost in its pursuit. The greatest question that is before us now is-can man learn to control himself ? Next week we will discuss some of the vehicles which the United States is building to carry man, not only to the moon, but to the planets as well, and possibly, some day, beyond. The Romance of Space-Program No. 5 Last week we talked about the beginning of the science of Rocketry, and its development through various periods of history. Tonight we are going to talk about our present position in this field, and the possibilities which lie in the future. At the present time, the United States is planning its space exploration program, principally around six basic missile types; the Atlas, the Thor, the Jupiter, the Titan, the Saturn and the Nova. The Atlas, Thor, Jupiter and Titan have been built, tested and used in some portion of the space program. All of them

however, were originally designed primarily as weapon systems, or ballistic missiles, to be used for the purpose of delivering nuclear warheads to some point on earth. They are large enough to have some space potential, and have been used, in combination with various second and third stage missiles, to place in orbit, various sized instrument packages, and to launch several deep space probes. They do not however, produce sufficient thrust for manned interplanetary travel, and so we are developing, what are called second MAY 1961 7

generation missiles which will produce the required thrust. The two principal second generation missiles now in the process of development are known as the Saturn and the Nova. Prototypes of the Saturn will probably be flown in 1963, and the Nova is tentatively scheduled for flight tests in 1968. Neither missile has been built as yet but much of the developmental work has been done. Each will depend upon a cluster of engines rather than upon one large one. The Saturn will have a cluster of eight engines, four of which will be in a fixed position while the remaining four will be hung in gimbals so that the direction of thrust can be changed for stabilization and guidance. The engines will produce a total of about 1,500,000 pounds of thrust, which is sufficient to place a 20,000 pound payload in orbit about the earth, or about 6,000 pounds of payload in direct impact with the moon. The Nova will consist of a cluster of engines producing from 6 to 9 million pounds of thrust. This is sufficient thrust to lift about 45 ten-ton trucks into the air at the same time, but when we realize that the Nova together with its secondary stages will stand as tall as a 24 story building, we can see that it is going to need all the thrust that it can get. We also begin to understand something of the problems and the expense involved in building and launching these tremendous structures. In an attempt to lower the amount of fuel necessary for the operation of these missiles, nuclear engines are being developed. The best known of these nuclear engines is the Rover. Small prototypes have been built and tested with some success, but an actual operational nuclear engine for missile use is probably at least ten years in the future. Before the nuclear missile engine is fully achieved, and perhaps even before the first successful flight of the Nova, our entire approach to the problems of space travel may have changed for we are approaching a breakthrough into what at first appears to be an entirely new concept of space propulsion. And yet it is not really new at all. It is known as field propulsion. When we look at the universe about us, we see that every body of matter in that universe is in motion. Every star, every planet, and every satellite is in motion with respect to us, and each of them is in motion with respect to every other body. All of these motions are created and maintained by the action of one or more fields. The electric field, the magnetic field and the gravitational field are responsible for the generation of all 8 UNDERSTANDING

the kinetic energy differentials which we refer to as motion. The field is the natural and universal means of creating motion, and in the next few years we may develop means of applying these fields directly rather than using the inefficient secondary effects as we now do.

When direct field propulsion is utilized the space ship will become much smaller in proportion to the payload. It will have greater acceleration ability and much better control. But until field propulsion is utilized the space ship will continue to be a cumbersome and wasteful monster.

Does Life Exist on Venus? Scientists Say It's Possible (From Copley News Service, March 10, 1961) Is there life on Venus, target for the Russian space probe? U. S. scientists can't tell you for certain, but they're learning more and more about Earth's nearest neighbor among the planets. They believe that Venus is the logical stepping stone in man's exploration of the solar system. Venus moves in an almost circular orbit. At times it approaches within 25.7 million miles of Earth. That's close in terms of astronomy. Scientists say Venus bears a closer resemblance to Earth than Mars. But Venus is shrouded in a densely-clouded atmosphere, and therefore in mystery. Earthbound observers simply can't see the surface of Venus, even with their most powerful instruments. It took two shivering Americans with a 16-inch telescope mounted in a balloon to 80,000 feet to get man's first good look at Earth's sister planet. They came back to Earth with the first evidence that there might be water on Venus. This also was an indication that life might be supported on the planet. The curious balloonists were Cmdr. Malcolm Ross, 40, USN, of the Office of Naval Research, and Charles B. Moore Jr., 39, a physicist engineer who works for a Cambridge, Mass., firm. In effect they were emissaries of Dr. John Strong, Johns Hopkins University scientist who designed the bold experiment but thought it advisable to send aloft the most skilled balloonists in the business. MAY 1961 9

The information Ross and Moore brought back was well worth the trouble and expense of the journey nearly 20 miles above the globe. Inscribed on a strip of wax paper were spectroscopic readings of the light from Venus. They showed that when the sun's light passes through Venus' atmosphere, certain infra-

red lines are partially absorbed. This provided dramatic and irrefutable evidence that Venus' cloudy atmosphere contains water vapor. Until the Ross-Moore journey aloft in December, 1959, no trace of water ever had been detected around Venus. Strong says this was because the Earth's own lower atmosphere is so heavily laden with water that it obscures any effort to pick up traces of water vapor on other planets. Moore and Ross estimated the balloon rose so high it was above 98 per cent of the earth's atmosphere. Since life without water is impossible, many astronomers long have believed Venus under its cloud deck must be as lifeless as the dusty moon. The traces on Strong's chart did not disclose whether Venus has oceans or only whiffs of vapors. But they left room for hope that when the first earthling explorers grope their way through the cloud banks and reach Venus, they may find some kind of life.

WHAT IS TRUTH?
MAN CHOOSES TRUTH'S MOULD. It is nothing more. He sets the boundaries beyond which the fluid essence of Life may not go. That is, "for him" it is barred from further egress by the thought-form in which he has imprisoned it. Thus the life-stream of Truth becomes gradually solidified or ``cooled" and rendered incapable of further manipulation. Any group or organization may so confine the Truth within the narrow boundaries of their own barriers of thought. All truth not conforming to what they have decided constitutes its proper shape and contour must, perforce, be spurious. We have then, as many different "forms" as Man is capable of inventing; each purporting to be, in itself, the summum bonum of Truth! Each such group, either individually or as an organization, extols the beauty, the perfection, the efficacy of the particular form or mold into which they have forced the Truth. Alas and alas! By what false reasoning doth Man conclude that Truth, which is Life Itself, may be caught in some tiny receptacle of his 10 UNDERSTANDING

own making and exhibited as a complete and all-inclusive concept of Truth? Only as one considers Truth, like Love, as an everactive force, an ever-flowing stream, and interpenetrating solvent, dissolving all the transient barriers, mental or material, which Man erects to divert or limit its continuous progress, can one truly apprehend its character. But when man casts the Truth into a mold of his own creating and presents this concept in concrete, crystallized form as a perfect and complete representation of Truth-then Beware! Truth manifests in a million different forms, each of which is but a transient demonstration of its eternal and boundless power and glory. (New Age Library, 11574 Juniper Rd., Morongo Valley, Cal.) -FRED R. BROOKS Box 94

Morongo Valley, Calif.

COUNTRY TO COUNTRY UNDERSTANDING

News From Hungary (Following are excerpts from a letter received from Stephen Molnar of Hungary.) "Thank you very much for the Understanding. It is a very interesting magazine indeed. I have read the interesting articles in it and I liked them. Of course, I will write an article for the Understanding very kindly. It is true that my English is not so good, but I try to get my best. Sorry I cannot write very much, because I am very busy with my studies at the evening school. Namely I will do my final examination in the end of June. "Our people is interested in America very much but they can hear very few about it in this time. I think that you will know why?! Sorry I may not write about the politics, because I don't want to have any troubles. I hope that you will understand me." "I am very glad that I can write something about our little country in your magazine which is a most wonderful one. Your magazine is the unique on this earth, which try to create a better understanding among the different people of the world. Just therefore I would like to let know you, that the Hungarian people love all people and all races and it want to live in understanding with them. MAY 1961 11

"I think that there are many people in America who didn't hear anything from Hungary and therefore I will wrote something about it. Well, Hungary lies in Middle-Europe, west of the Soviet Union. Its other neighbors are: Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Yugoslavia and Austria. It is a People's Republic with a presidential council and a prime minister. It has 9,978,000 inhabitants. Official language: Hungarian. The chief job of the people is agriculture and there are developed industry too. "The culture of the country is rather high. There are many schools, high schools and universities. The students must learn the Russian language in every school. Besides, they may learn German and French as also Latin. The English language is not so know as the others." Mission of Love (The following is a letter received by Esther Stilgebouer, president of Riverside, Unit No. 22, from the vice president of the unit, who is on a personal world mission to project love to as many countries of the world as possible in a fairly brief period of time. The letter was written aboard a plane between Brazil and Venezuela.) Today I finish my trip around South America and will spend the night at Miami, Florida if I can make the right connections. Having to make such an extensive trip in such a short time doesn't leave much time to see the interesting places in most of the countries, but a partial picture of each country and its inhabitants is obtained.

You find people in all stations of life in these countries and your heart goes out to those especially who are living in or near the bottom conditions. You see fine automobiles and homes at the top and donkeys or ox carts as the other extreme. In between are all variations, but most are in the automotive age. Most all I have contacted are friendly and I find that if I smile and project a feeling of brotherly love the same comes back to me. You may recall the lecture Gloria Lee gave us in which she said, "If we would only project love, or even just like, we could create a web around the earth through which evil could not penetrate." I think of that so much on this trip for that is the mission given me for this time. When it is completed I will have established one complete link of love for mankind around the world. To be more correct I should say "we" and not "I." Carolyn and I had planned a trip but no definite time had been set for it. We had set aside 12 UNDERSTANDING

money for it as well, so it is "we," I in the flesh and she in the spirit and I am sure it is that way for I often feel she is with me. Just now we are passing over the dense jungles of British Guiana. Fleecy clouds are floating above them and below us. Part of the time I can see the matted green mass below and I feel thankful I am not down in them. In this tropical, torrid zone, there is so much humidity that clouds cover the land from our view most of the time. Tuesday, I plan to head across the ocean for Lisbon, then to Madrid, four north African nations and Nice, France. I will spend a couple of days there with two of my Claremont, California friends. . . -GERALD H. LOWRY Vice President of Riverside, Unit No. 22

MAGAZINES FOR FRIENDSHIP

You as an individual can do something very important toward world peace. You can send magazines, constructive ones, to other countries. One of the greatest problems facing mankind is the fact that the communist nations of the earth are flooding many neutral countries with cheap literature. When a resident of an Asian nation, for instance, searches for literature concerning a country other than his own, it is many times easier for him to obtain a communist magazine than it is to get a hold of something more constructive.

Understanding Magazine has a number of back issues that have accumulated since it started in 1956. A number of the units are sending these old issues to crucial points such as newspapers and libraries in the "hot spots" of the world. Won't you join in this program? These old Understanding magazines aren't serving an useful purpose on our shelves. Let's get them out where they will do some good. The problem is postage. We can supply you with old magazines free, and we can, if you wish, tell you where to send them, if you will volunteer to bear the cost of mailing the magazines. Please write to Understanding Magazine, P.O. Box 22, Station C, Pasadena, Calif., U.S.A. MAY 1961 13

EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION

ACCORDING TO "The Foundation For Research In Parapsychology", Extra Sensory Perception is defined as awareness of our response to an external event or influence not apprehended by sensory means, e.g., telepathy and clairvoyance. In recent years an infant science has come into existence termed Parapsychology, an experimental science dealing with the study of ESP. Parapsychology had its birth at Duke University under the direction of Dr. J. B. Rhine due to his interest in psychical research, and singular instances of extraordinary psychical phenomenon. In the 1930s the Parapsychology Institute was initiated at Duke under the direction of J. B. Rhine and W. G. Pratt in order to construct a laboratory where they could test persons for their ESP abilities under controlled conditions and scientific procedure. A special set of statistics was devised, test methods constructed, and criteria based on the mathematical chances of probability devised. The results of the intensive research and investigation done by Rhine and Pratt are published in a textbook called Parapsychology: Frontier Science o f the Mind, released in 1957. New research techniques were developed by Dr. Tenhaeff of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the only man who holds a University Chair as a professor of Parapsychology. Dr. Tenhaeff is co-founder of the "Journal of Parapsychology," first published in 1938 giving detailed descriptions of new experiments, suggestions, and research findings. Just recently formed, "The Foundation for Research in Parapsychology" (F.R.P.) has established quarters in Austin, Texas. One of its founders, and Research Director is the well known Dr. Andrija Puharich who has done extensive research on the effects of the Amanita Muscaria, the Sacred Mushroom, taken by subjects exhibiting ESP abilities. FRP has devised new research techniques in determining behavior patterns in ESP, and also has developed new tools. ESP research has yielded a great deal of positive evidence in favor of its existence and its apparent nonphysical operation that warrants serious attention and criticism on the part of scientists in other fields, especially Psychology. The profound effects its acceptance can have on everyone is self-evident. All fields of scientific research are now upon the brink of a great chasm, that chasm represents the mysterious and unknown. - WILLIAM HAMILTON El Monte Unit # 1

14

UNDERSTANDING

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor: I cornered my husband the other night and asked him what he thought was wrong with the present conditions and took his notes down in shorthand; you can read them over, and if you think there is anything worth while in them, you can write up an article. This isn't in story form, but I jotted down ideas as he stated them. As follows: Sincerely get peace and brotherly love in your hearts. Start living Christ's teachings instead of talking about them. The majority of people should reverse their ideas and behaviorisms to overcome present confusions. The United States alone could feed and clothe the entire world on a 24-hour basis if use of extraneous energy was controlled right, and the distribution of food, shelter, and clothing was handled right. Produce for use-from those according to their ability and to those according to their need. Everyone function for each other. Turn loose from the present concept of law, using force. Understand present situations, facts of life, mental confusion, separateness, lack of mental oneness. People know themselves, and really know their inner selves and thoughts; find out what love and peace really are cooperative system, get-togetherness. Christ taught Give and you shall receive. Trust instead of doubt. One of the worst sins of life is lack of appreciation. Everyone should practice what he preaches for the other fellow to do. False ego will burst like a balloon if we don't look out. Life is a natural leveler. A person is soon knocked down who thinks that he is better than other people. One of the largest obstacles is fear. The hardest thing in the ladder of life is to teach oneself to tolerate intolerance. Sincerely, -MRS. HARRY BIENICK

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Understanding's Past Accomplishments THE PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS of Understanding are difficult to chart, not that the organization hasn't accomplished anything. It has in many ways accomplished a great deal. Its mere existence is in itself an accomplishment. From a start of MAY 1961 15

nine members at El Monte, Calif. in 1955, it has grown, roughly doubling in size every year to where in early 1961 it has some 1200 members in close to 50 units throughout the United States and in Canada.

The members and units have put on hundreds of lectures and meetings, circulated thousands of books and magazines and reached multitudes of people in the spirit of "bringing about a greater degree of understanding among all the people of earth and making available to them more of the higher understanding of those beings not of earth." Interest has been stirred all over the world through letters and tape recordings. An international headquarters office and reading room has been established in Pasadena, Calif. Through pioneering by some of the units, workshop discussion activities have been launched in many areas. In addition to these accomplishments, Understanding itself has been transformed from the original association into a nonprofit corporation and thereby has become a more permanent and better known entity. More important, however, are things that Understanding alone cannot claim credit for, but which have undeniably been influenced by the organization, particularly through the editorials appearing in Understanding magazine, which goes to many world leaders. For the world has gained a degree of understanding. The planet earth still has a very long way to go as far as this objective is concerned, but we are alive. It is a fact that cold, scientific calculation based upon the trend of a decade ago would have had this planet blown up several years ago. Something has happened. Something has begun to reverse the trend toward disaster. It has taken the efforts of many groups working for understanding and compassion in the world. Understanding has played a small yet not completely insignificant part in bringing about more understanding in the world. What Is Understanding? Understanding, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of the earth, and of those who are not of earth. It is made up of people-people from all walks of life who have come together to seek better understanding of each other and of the mysteries of the universe. The purposes of Understanding, Inc. are as follows: To search for true and practical solutions to those great basic problems 16 UNDERSTANDING

which presently threaten the happiness, the welfare and existence of humanity upon this Earth; To promote and encourage a complete and precise determination of the cause of said problems, which, when achieved, leads directly to a clear understanding thereof, opening the way to practical solution; To chart the total area of mutual agreement in the social science of today, that is, to determine the total number of basic postulates or tenets designed to guide the behavior of man toward his fellowman, which are accepted as valid by all races and creeds upon earth today, by which process results comparable to the phenomenal development achieved by the same process long practiced in the field of physical science, may also be achieved; To chart in like manner the area of worldwide agreement in the spiritual science, by means of which to achieve a rapid advance in the understanding of the true goal of life, and in the practices of right relationships;

To engage in scientific and other research, study, analysis and investigation of any and all things and in any and all fields in an endeavor to obtain new, greater and more advanced knowledge, and To bring about the establishment of truth, all for the betterment, improvement, encouragement and advancement of mankind. What Is Understanding Attempting To Do? We are attempting to build a gigantic new age organization that will make "Understanding" a household word in every nation on earth. We have no particular course of study to hand out or special teaching to distribute. Rather, we are constructing a vast body of new age individuals, so that persons may affiliate with it to give themselves strength, a sense of purpose and direction in the days to come. Our Purpose is to help bring in a new age. Every member of Understanding can act as a silent salesman in his neighborhood, his community, his nation, and in the world-quietly selling the new age way of life by attempting to live it in full view of his friends and neighbors. Every unit can be a silent salesman as a group by taking steps to make its community more in tune with the new age way of life. This can be done through the efforts of every member in becoming active in civic affairs, being of as much help to the community as possible and disseminating information through lectures and literature. What is the new age way of life? It is love, honesty, open-mindedness, fair-mindedness, and the ability to eliminate prejudice and bigotry, to investigate MAY 1961 17

rather than to ridicule and to examine all things and subsequently cling to that which is good. The idea is not "What can I get out of Understanding?" It is "What can I contribute to mankind on the planet earth at this time?" The purpose of having a large organization like Understanding, is to band ourselves together and make our cause known throughout the world. What Can The Individual Do To Bring About More Understanding? There are a number of specific projects that every member of Understanding and anyone interested in working for better understanding in the world can undertake: 1. Get out into your community and participate in its civic life. Join your chamber of commerce, join a service club, attend your city council or school board meetings. Take an active interest in the area in which you live. Make yourself known and speak out for those principles in which you believe. Let's be silent salesmen on a person-to-person level. 2. Engage in correspondence with citizens of other countries on earth. Write letters and send tape recordings abroad. Communicate back and forth with people in other nations, letting them know what you feel about understanding, life on other planets, outer space, etc. Give them your ideas and tell them about your way of life, your family and daily activities. Write Understanding, Inc., Box 22, Station C, Pasadena, Calif. for names of persons to correspond with.

3. Send good magazines to other countries. Vast numbers of the earth's population do not have good reading material. You can send them copies of good magazines published in your country. Why not send back issues of Understanding? A number of free back issues can be sent to you for distribution abroad upon request. Write Understanding, Box 22, Station C, Pasadena, Calif. for magazines and for names of foreign libraries, newspaper editors, etc. to send the magazines to. World opinion is molded by just a relatively few people. Let's get our message to those people in each country. 4. Write letters to those who are doing the world a service. If a TV station is putting on a particularly constructive program, let them know that you appreciate it. If a world leader does something fine, let him know that you are behind him. There are two immediate letters you can write in this respect: TV station KCDA-TV in Douglas, Arizona is putting on a 18 UNDERSTANDING

series of programs featuring Dan Fry, leader of Understanding. Write that station care of the Gadsden Hotel, Douglas, Ariz. and express your appreciation. ABC television has for some time telecast a weekly series called "Alcoa Presents" which depicts stories involving extra-sensory perception, telepathy and flying saucers. This program may go off the air soon unless you let the producers know that you want this type of program on television. Write to Alcoa Presents, TV Guide Viewer Service, Box 800, Radnor, Pa. 5. Start a youth movement in your area. Many young people are interested in Understanding. Their natural interest in science-fiction draws them to it, also their curiosity and desire to explore. Perhaps you yourself have teenagers who could start it.

bulletin board

EL MONTE UNIT #1: This unit has adopted the "Magazines For Friendship" program, outlined elsewhere in this issue, as a unit project. Unit members are sending Understanding magazines and other good publications to foreign countries. The unit also reports growing response to its correspondence with other countries program and tape respondence with other units. Letters have been received recently from Hungary, Cuba, Nigeria, India and Pakistan. Tapes have been received from New Zealand and from the Grants Pass, Buffalo, Douglas, Riverside and Medford Understanding Units. The El Monte Unit also has decided to join the El Monte Coordinating Council. SAN MATEO UNIT #2: Mr. Frank Spiva recently spoke on "BIBLICAL AUTHENTICATION OF THE PRESENT DAY PHENOMENA," A dance workshop, under the direction of Mrs. Dorothy Collins,

MAY 1961

19

meets at 6:45 to 7:45, immediately preceding the regular meetings. Good work ! SANTA CRUZ UNIT #9: The following officers were elected for the coming year at a recent meeting. Bernard McGuire, President; Herman Hanna, Jr., Vice President; Eve Blakeman, Recording Secretary; Helen Anderson, Treasurer; Perle Johnson, Membership Secretary; and Ruby Strong, Corresponding Secretary. INGLEWOOD UNIT #15: F. Amadeo Giannini lectured at the March meeting and Riley Crabb spoke at the April session. RIVERSIDE UNIT #22: The subject of F. Amadeo Giannini's lecture in April was, "INTO THE UNIVERSE ABOUT US". Gerald Lowry, Unit Vice President, recently made an extensive trip to many foreign countries and spread the influence of Peace and Goodwill, and especially Love. SAN JOSE UNIT #25: Mr. Frank Spiva lectured on "THE AUTHENTICATION OF THE UFO'S" in March. TURLOCK UNIT #30: The new officers for 1961 are Dr. Margaret McKinnon, President; Mrs. Mabel Robinson, Vice President; Mrs. Eugenia Garrison, Secretary-Treasurer. Riley Crabb and Dana Howard were the most recent speakers. A Library has been started of metaphysical and saucer books. Mrs. Robinson is Chairman. MARIN COUNTY UNIT #31: The First Anniversary of the Marin County Unit was celebrated April 7th and 8th. Dan Fry spoke on "SPACE CRAFT AND SPACE TRAVEL" on the 7th and "THE RELATIVITY OF REALITY" on the 8th. Dr. Fry's books are to be presented to the local library. TACOMA UNIT #35: The officers elected for the coming year are, Lee Corp, President; Herb Blankenship, Vice President, and C. L. Butcher, Secretary-Treasurer. Rev. Bernice Nichol recently spoke on "REINCARNATION". TWIN CITY UNIT #41: Meetings are held on the second and fourth Friday of each month. At a recent meeting "THE WORK OF THE SAUCER GROUPS" by Dan Fry was read, which created much interest. '

TAPE DEPARTMENT
Do you have a tape recorder? If you do, would you like to start "talking" with people around the United States and the rest of the world? Below is a list of individuals who have tape recorders and who would 20 UNDERSTANDING

like to hear from you on tape. If you'd like to get into tape "circulation" why don't you send us your name and address and we'll list you here too. Tape respondents: John F. Maxfield, 2217 Manchester Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

M. A. Saxton, 3228 N. Syracuse, Baldwin Park, Calif., U.S.A. Mrs. Alta Simpson, R. 2, Box 194, Perris, Calif., U.S.A. Conny Tanasale, 2122 S. Curtis Ave., Alhambra, Calif., U.S.A. Cleve Twitchell, 4318 N. Muscatel Ave., Rosemead, Calif., U.S.A. ESSAY RESULTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON The judges in Understanding's essay contest are now considering the many fine entries sent in during February and March. The response to the contest was extremely good. The winners will be announced soon. First prize is $50, second prize, $25. Five additional prizes of $5 each will also be awarded. Judges in the contest are Dan Fry, editor of Understanding magazine and founder of Understanding; John Barnes, president of the San Mateo, Calif. Unit of Understanding, and Bernard McGuire, president of the Santa Cruz, Calif., Unit of Understanding. WORKERS NEEDED Can you type? Do you have some spare time you are wondering what to do with? Understanding is in need of Volunteer help. Whether you live in Southern California or not, you can be of assistance. If you do live with in easy traveling distance of the Pasadena office, your efforts there would be greatly appreciated. If you cannot travel to the office, there is typing work which can be mailed to you. In either case please telephone the office at SY 2-7386 or write to Understanding, Inc., 313 East Orange Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California. BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE UNDERSTANDING MAGAZINES are available for those who want them in a complete form. These YEARBOOKS are for 1958, 1959, and 1960. They sell for $2.50. No tax for out-of-state orders; in California, add .10 tax. ALSO available are single back issues of UNDERSTANDING MAGAZINE from 1956 through 1960 for those who would like to complete any missing numbers for the years above. These copies are limited and not all months are available. (UNDERSTANDING UNITS may have these single copies for postage costs!-A REAL BARGAIN!) STREAMLINED LIKE A ROCKET, ITS PROPELLANT IS TRUTH

THE SPACE AGE RELIGION

The Cosmic Circle of Fellowship, Inc., offers Instructions in Cosmic Knowledge.

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Get the Master Cosmic Clock Chart - with explanation - $1.00 postpaid. Your Cosmic Time - Your Cosmic Symbol - Your Cosmic Number - Send Birth date. Send all inquires to:

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CONVENTION June 24, 25, 26, 1961

Publications By RICHARD, DUC de PALATINE

Public Invited - Spread The Word 50 Cents and $1 Donation

THE GREAT PARABLE ............................................ $1.50 CHRIST OR JESUS ...................................................... 1.50 THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERIES .................................... 1.50

Cafe on the Grounds Bigger and Better This Year Good Road YOU AND REINCARNATION ...................................... 1.50 GOD-MAN, THE MYSTERY BEYOND THE VEIL ...................................................... 1.50 FOURTH ANNUAL SPACE CRAFT THE INNER MEANING OF CONVENTION THE MYSTERY SCHOOLS .........................................

1.50 BUCK'S MOUNTAIN VIEW RANCH Mountain View, Missouri Rt. 1 Most astounding books of this age. Students of Occultism, Methaphysics, Theosophy and mystic Christianity will be amply repaid. The Author shows very clearly the path to illumination for all people. THE WORD MADE FLESH ......................................... 1.50

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Full set of books $10.00 Individual books, price as quoted.

Order from: PRE-NICENE FOUNDATION 2450 SUMMIT DRIVE SANTA ROSA, CALIF.

BOOKS RECOMMENDED AS AN APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING

atoms, galaxies and understanding, by daniel fry ...................... 2.00 White sands incident and to men of earth, one volume, by Daniel Fry ....................................... 2.00 They sky people, by erinsley lepoer trench .................................... 4.50 Spacewoman speaks, by rolfe telano ................................................ 2.00 Why we are here, Gloria lee ....................................................................... 3.75

council of seven lights, by george van tassel............................... 3.50 my contact with flying saucers, fino kraspedon ......................... 3.75 My trip to mars moon and venus, by buck nelson .......................... 1.00 night has 1000 saucers, by calvin c. girvin (paper, $2.00).............. 3.00 road in the sky, by g.h. williamson ........................................................... 4.00 SECRET OF THE SAUCERS, by Orfeo Angelucci .................................... 3.00 Secret forces that changed the world, by frank bowman 3.50

Temple of god, annalee skarin ................................................................. 3.50 Unity in the spirit, by comptesse de pierrefeu ................................. 2.50 Wake up the god in you and live, by Martha baker ........................ 2.00 we of the new dimension, by Will and evelyn miller ..................... 2.00 wisdom of the universe, by hope troxell............................................ 3.25 These books may be purchased from Understanding. We pay all postage. Residents of California please add 4% Sales Tax.