The grandeur of the building, without a single guard, and the marvelous outside, and inside decorations of that sumptuous palace, as well as its large magnificent banquet hall and table service with the richly dressed large assembly of notables was a beautiful and unforgettable sight.
When we were announced they all stood up and gave us a cheer, and the band started to play our national anthem in which they all joined in its singing. To us it was a very impressive and grandiose feeling. We were led to the head table on the dais, and each one of us was seated between the most important of their citizens. My seat was between their president and their vice-president.
Their food was excellent, all this splendor, inspiring in us a profound admiration, it would take me too long to give details. After the last course was served, Sun Rank Banard as toastmaster announced the President as their first speaker. In a long eloquent speech, he not only said that we were welcome as permanent inhabitants of Mars, but also gave me his, and all Martians good parting wishes with the hope of my success and return.
The toastmaster then announced that the guest speakers of the evening will be some members of my crew who will give an account of some of their experiences in Germany.
He then introduced Mr. Louis Richards, a former history professor on Earth.
"Honorable President, ladies and gentlemen of Mars. I am overwhelmed, I never dreamed that there were human beings on the other planets, and I certainly never expected to be present on your globe speaking to such a distinguished assembly of Martians.
"It is an outstanding feeling of honor to be the first earthman chosen to address you. At this meeting and this banquet, it may not be a pleasant subject to vividly present the suffering, misery and cruelty on our planet.
"But being that we all here have a holy mission to fulfill, to save all us earthmen in spite of ourselves, we are going to tell you only a small part of what has occurred. The few of us here, earthmen, who were sightseers of atrocious happenings on our planet, will recount to you what took place.
"With the development on earth of sciences, physical strength gradually became nullified so that skill, invention, and treachery became uppermost in national diplomacy, battles, and wars with some of our earth's nations.
"Since time immemorial we earthmen with our inherent and uncontrollable addiction lusted to possess our neighbor's property by robbing, killing, conquering, enslaving, and even eating him. In our constant raids, bloody conquests, and feuds between families, tribes, and classes, and aggressions between nations up to the present time, there have been criminal and selfish conflicts, 'an endless circle of force, retaliation, violence and war.'[32]