CHAPTER VI

Auri Sacra Fames

"The accursed thirst for Gold"

A week afterour first meeting, we again met in Sun-Rank Banard's library. Addressing Mr. Galoway, he said, "I am very sorry to hear that you have failed to find the missing element for the proposed radio transmitter. You certainly tried hard enough. But don't let this discourage us. In a conference with several of our Supreme Council members, we decided that it might be a good plan to take Lieutenant Balmore back to Earth and let him parachute down right over his home. He can disseminate the experiences he has had on our planet and, at the same time, acquire an airplane with the best high frequency radio transmitter. Then he can contact us on our airship at a prearranged time and place.

"Before he leaves, it may be a good idea to take down in shorthand notes and memorize a convincing lecture with illustrations which may succeed in influencing and possibly converting terrestrial men to our way. I am now going to show you television and moving pictures of some of the gruesome happenings on Earth. I may find it necessary to offend many of your people on Earth by exposing their grim way of living and I will even have to exhort them; but I feel that my method may be the best way to arouse serious attention. You will have to steel yourselves against not only what I am going to tell you but what you will see withyour own eyes of the horrible ordeal on Earth in both past and at present. These pictures were shown only to a few Martians. I certainly would like to show them to your Earth peoples, or at least to your ruling class. Your economic system is so strongly entrenched that I doubt your living generations can or will even try to take advantage of my findings or counsel. I will have made a start if the coming ones will benefit. Our combined talks, and suggestions will be recorded and translated into each of your different languages. When the occasion arises, you may reach your people in your own language.

"It will be important for each one of you to be able to give the history of your adventures, the details of your landing experience. Vividly contrast our way of living on Mars with the way of living on Earth; then you may in your own way tell them of the lecture I shall give you now.

"We have found that human beings here and on your Earth have potentially the same physical and mental caliber. Nature implanted in all of us the primitive instincts of selfishness, acquisitiveness, and brutality. By some good fortune our primordial ancestors on Mars started to cast off and definitely curb these instincts and aversions by good judgment, reason and repression, and have forcibly continued to do so until evolution has eliminated our undesirable traits.

"Our early progenitors ingrafted in us high ideals, thus developing in us a high mentality; fortunately we have not inherited your instinct to desire wealth and power for individual self. We, like yourselves, require good health, love, happiness, good nourishment, warm and fashionable clothing, sanitary, and comfortable homes, safety against want and old age, dependence, medical care, luxuries, and honors.

"On our globe we have intensified the production of natural resources from our lands, seas, and air until now we can produce more than we actually need. Every Martian gets his necessities free as a matter of right and his expensive luxuries and honors according to the merit of his achievements.

"Your forefathers, even though they were groping for the best way of life, through ignorance, gradually drifted into the path of least resistance. From time immemorial you have always desiredthe acquisition of more wealth than you needed, to give you power over your fellow man.

"We on Mars have been objective observers of your sick economic system. We have carefully studied its functions. Although I do not pretend to be an expert, I have consulted with our own experts, and feel myself qualified to make suggestions. From the analysis we have made, we call it moneyism which is the root of your economic evils. Your whole existence centers around your desire for money, and you are handicapped in that you must have money to live even a comparatively normal existence.

"In nature, only living matter is productive. But contrary to natural law, you have created money, interest and reproductivity into an unnatural body, that has elements of the corrupt.

"I am not going into the detailed dogmas of your economists, nor will I define them and their functions; but I will try to give you a summary of the history of money, past and present.

"Money started in your ancient times, as a barter system.

"Beginning by gradual evolution in your stone age, you started with living money like cattle, slaves, next came shells, colored fancy stones, stone axes, and tools. Then your earth man discovered iron ore, mining and smelting. At that time iron was scarce and became the most valuable metal of the time. You forged it into lance points, arrow points; then into axes, knives, swords, arm and leg bracelets, using these articles as a medium of exchange.

"You afterward discovered silver, gold, other metals, and precious stones. With your innate craving for self decoration, you forged golden crowns, medals, belts, arm and leg bracelets for your leaders or kings; and then earrings, necklace, finger, and nose rings, and arm and ankle bracelets for your sweethearts, wives, and daughters. Thus, the more scarce and rare the metals, the more valuable they became, starting the medium of barter and exchange in metal bullion and coins.

"You find an account in your Bible.

'In Genesis XX, 15, "And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee; dwell where it pleaseth thee." 16, And unto Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold itis for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee, and to all others. Thus she was reproved."'

"The American Indians and white settlers used wampum as money. Tobacco government warehouse deposit certificates were also used as money.

"In some of your Southern Pacific Islands your cannibal tribes used compressed human heads and skulls to purchase their wives; in Africa ivory elephant tusks were used and others of you have used a great many other mediums of exchange.

"Mr. Norman Angell, one of your economists, in his book,The Story of Money, gives a clear description of the uses of money. He says it is used

"As a medium of exchange, a measure of value, a standard of deferred payment, and as a store of value."[21]

"Mr. Victor L. Clark, one of your authors, in his bookWhat is Money, says that

"It is something with which we can buy goods and services."[22]

He further writes:

"In the 16th century, 'a new aspect of credit appeared.'[23]"deposit banking developed out of an ancient custom of leaving money in safe keeping with responsible merchants."[24]

"In the 16th century, 'a new aspect of credit appeared.'[23]

"deposit banking developed out of an ancient custom of leaving money in safe keeping with responsible merchants."[24]

"In the 16th century banking by check system was started in Amsterdam by large Dutch Banking Companies, bringing into existence your present system of moneyism. Later, London goldsmiths began to create bank money by issuing receipts or other paper instruments originating out of money in bullion of copper, silver and gold by weight deposited with them, or loaned out by them, on which they paid out or received interest.

"This practice of saving and getting interest on money started your moneyism system, gradually developing into your presentstupendous one which holds in its power every one of you on Earth.

"Where the profit angle is concerned, you seem to forget and not to adhere to traditional and religious custom and laws.

"It may be unknown by many of you, that the receiving or charging of interest, was, and still is condemned in most of your religious scriptures, as immoral, illegal, and sinful.

"During your Roman era, and even for some time afterwards among your world nations interest charging was severely punished as a crime.

"Interest charging, contrary to your religious precepts, is now not only legal, but justified, and is the fundamental principle of your moneyism.

"Every one of your nations and states legally permits a different standard level of interest plus premiums, commissions, and other charges. In some of them it has reached high usury proportions.

"Land and commercial moneyism, in existence for so long, brought on your money and industrial financiering. Inasmuch as you gentlemen come from the United States of America, the foremost financial country of your world, we had better concentrate on it.

"Don't let us confuse your money system with your form of government, or political economy with your political science. They are two different, and distinct entities.

"Your founding fathers certainly originated a sound form of government. You can be proud of your constitution, your three branches of government, your bill of rights. We on Mars feel it is the best government on your earth, outside of your economic system, in many ways similar to ours. As your traditional and very ancient custom for the benefit and protection of your citizens and for the purpose of withholding its control from greedy, monopolistic or dishonest individuals, as well as guarantee its uniform value, your government was compelled then, as it is duty bound now, to assume the many responsible and most important money functions, as well as create, promulgate, and enforce its laws, developing the following bureaus and departments. The bureaus of the mint, engraving, the office of the treasurer,register of the treasury, controller of currency, the farm loan bureau and the federal reserve system.

"Thus Congress, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve, are the fountain heads of your money and moneyism; your banks, its multiplex reproduction incubators, and foster parents reproducing it with lightning rapidity, through interest, compound interest, dividends, bonuses, premiums, commissions, dues, rents, and profits. Your commercial and investment banks and your trust companies receive, pay out, finance foreign credits, underwrite and distribute new securities, and buy government and state bonds. There are more than 14,855 establishments, with arteries in more than 20,000 large business savings and investments. National and state banks and trust companies are located in all your large and small cities. Many of them are members of the Federal Reserve Banks. Your 300 large life insurance companies and all other lesser ones, your great number of private bankers, your financial investment, loan, and mortgage companies, your pawn and stock brokers, and your many other financiers control the loans of money. They loan it on stocks, bonds, notes, commercial paper, collateral securities, on contracts of future deliveries of all staple commodities, imports, exports, real estate mortgages; to nearly all of your industrial, commercial houses and utility companies, transportation, shipping, your farms, your business, your home, your furniture, your food, your automobiles, trucks, your jewelry, your clothes, your tools, your wages, and anything you possess of value. Even on your false teeth. That money loaned to you is derived from your savings, dues, and premiums.

"Bonus and other charges and loans to you are as high as the companies can get. Some of them ask the highest usurious rates allowed by your different legal state rates, and other charges are added—as much as they can milk out of you. Note that:

"The civic agencies conducting the Dallas, Texas loan shark fight found that interest as high as 1,131.4%, over 3% per day, was charged gullible victims. The lowest interest rate was 120% per annum, and the average 271.68%."[25]

"Money circulation and interest are the most expensive operations in your moneyism. Mr. Norman Angell in his bookStory of Moneycalls it 'Velocity Circulation.'[26]Money travels rapidly from hand to hand, from one pocketbook to another, from bank to bank, to borrower or drawer, in constant circulation.

"Has any one of your economists calculated how many times an active one-dollar multiplies itself in a year from the time it is first issued from the Treasury? How much does it earn in interest, compound interest, commissions, bonuses, dividends, and profit gain from constantly being shifted from person to person, bank to bank, and loan to loan? Or how many times does the actively circulated dollar change hands per day, month, or year? Your World Almanac, 1950, page 716, gives the deposits for the year 1949 as one hundred and fifty-five billion dollars, and on page 715, money in circulation for 1948 of $28,224,000,000. Every one of these dollars must have earned quite a lot in interest and must have multiplied itself many times on its rapid velocity circulation.

"How about your floating currency, in safe deposit vaults, pocketbooks, pockets, or hidden away underneath mattresses and in hundreds of nooks? How much of it is in the hands of foreign holders all over the world? And in their banks going through the same interest-earning and loaning-out processes?

"For your convenience in receiving, withdrawing, and checking out your money and for other services that your bank performs for you, you are being charged in many ways. The banks do not allow your money to lie idle. It must work and earn interest and other charges over and over.

"Other powers in your moneyism are your Stock Exchanges and Boards of Trade. Security trading has developed and perfected these Stock Exchanges to the point where they are the main financial markets in your United States as well as in all other financial centers of your world. They are the mediums to help keep securities at all times in a liquid and convertible state; they are the main avenues where buyers and sellers can always transact a purchase, or sale of stocks and bonds. The Boards of Trade are the mediums or markets for transacting purchases and sales ofyour staple commodities like wheat, corn, cotton, eggs, butter, coffee, and other staples.

"The New York Stock Exchange with its 1,375 broker members and members of your other exchanges and Boards of Trade in New York and other cities are the agencies of purchases and sales from client to client for cash or on margin for your stocks, bonds, and future staple agricultural commodities. These brokers also do a sort of banking business with their money and profits, and with money they borrow on call from banks at 1% and 2% interest and charge their customers 6%. They trade not only for their clients, but also among themselves.

"The next power in your moneyism is rent: Payment for the use and occupancy of property owned by another party as landlord. It is another form of interest on invested money. Rent is nothing else but a gain or interest on money. The rents paid for your homes, apartments, shops, offices, business houses, farms, and equipment, must be an enormous expense for you.

"Profit, another form of interest, is an expensive process of your money system. The Romans had a saying,Caveat Emptor, 'Let the buyer beware.' History shows that your industrial, and commercial business, and services have always been based on hard bargaining. The desire for more money gain was and is so deeply impregnated in you that it has blunted and broken down your ethical standards. You have always tried to get the most gain for the least value. Some sellers take advantage by overcharging, underweighing, substitutions. Others, through their open and secret control of combinations, and cartels create price fixing pools. Some manufacturers, retailers, contractors, and producers monopolize and create a scarcity and a demand. The consumer through necessity is compelled to purchase from them, or from cut-throat grey and black markets.

"Your World Almanac of 1950, page 652, gives for 1945 as many as 250,881 manufacturing establishments, with wholesale value of manufacturing at $74,425,825,000 on page 656 for 1948, and retail sales at $130,000,000,000. Whatever you purchase has also an added cost by billions of dollars for advertising, from your biggest article down to your match or piece of chewing gum.

"Your credit sales and charge accounts have not only increasedthe cost of your purchases, but have intensified the demand for luxuries you do not need or can't afford. You buy these things on the installment plan, even if you have to pay more, plus interest, to carry your account.

"Commissions, and fee payments on your purchases, sales, and rental collections to stock, bond, real estate, and commodity brokers plus your attorneys' fees is another enormous and excessive drain on your resources.

"The economic financial incubuses you have created now control your lives, from the day of your conception, until long after your death. With your money they directly control your most essential industries; and indirectly hold ownership through their loans, and mortgages, of your business, your homes, farms, stock, lands. They are on the Board of Directors, guiding the policy and controlling all your financial institutions and your most profitable enterprises taking most of the profit for themselves by devious methods. To hide and not openly show their large earnings, they often by subterfuge, declare and cut 'melons' to their stockholders by exchanging three, four or more shares of the same company for every one of their shares. By this artifice, they endeavor to show a smaller dividend as well as make the new issue of shares of a lower value, for manipulative and trading purposes. They also continuously increase their capitalizations or lower their par value sometimes for the same purpose.

"They even control your new discoveries, and inventions, which they get possession of, for mere pittances. They often suppress some of them to suit their convenience. Through their financial power they directly and indirectly control and influence the political status of your land. They control operations of agriculture, commerce, industry, transportation, utilities, shipping and all kinds of intercommunication, your wineries, breweries, distilleries, and your tobacco industries, from the smallest business to your largest enterprise. Ultimately restricting your opportunities for economic advancement.

"All these are interrelated: your Banks, Trust Companies, Business Banks, Savings Banks, Financial Companies, Loan Companies, Life and other Insurance Companies, Stock Companies and Exchanges, Boards of Trade, and other exchanges. Stockbrokers, real estate brokers, pawn brokers, with numerous branches covering the best locations in the United States, occupy many buildings and establishments, and send their private wires over every section of your nation and foreign countries. All of them are maintained at your expense through your large deposit reservoir and your earnings.

"Your moneyism has weakened you mentally, physically, and morally and has created in you an unquenchable desire for their acquisition; from your poorest to purchase his bare necessities to your richest to get richer, bringing on deficit spending, mounting debts, increasing taxes, incessant relief and unemployment payments. All these with no end in sight.

"Everywhere, everyone among you always has a demand, and you create the demand for more and more money. You always have need for more of it, for more financing, and there never seems to be enough of it. But it is only your few who seem to get it and hold it."

FOOTNOTES:[21]Story of Money, Norman Angell, Garden City, Publ. Co., 1929. p. 72.[22]What is Money, Victor L. Clark, Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 2.[23]Ibid., p. 23.[24]Ibid., p. 24.[25]The Family Circle Inc., June 28, 1946, V. 28, No. 26, pp. 10-11, by W.W. Wheatley.[26]The Story of Money, Norman Angell, Garden City Publ., 1929, p. 381.

[21]Story of Money, Norman Angell, Garden City, Publ. Co., 1929. p. 72.

[22]What is Money, Victor L. Clark, Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 2.

[23]Ibid., p. 23.

[24]Ibid., p. 24.

[25]The Family Circle Inc., June 28, 1946, V. 28, No. 26, pp. 10-11, by W.W. Wheatley.

[26]The Story of Money, Norman Angell, Garden City Publ., 1929, p. 381.

Back to Index Next