The Project Gutenberg eBook of Leave, Earthmen--Or Die!, by John Massie Davis
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at
www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the
country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: Leave, Earthmen--Or Die!
Author: John Massie Davis
Release Date: August 31, 2021 [eBook #66188]
Language: English
Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEAVE, EARTHMEN--OR DIE! ***
"Leave, Earthmen—Or Die!"
By John Massie Davis
Murph, Forsyth, and Jamison heard the
alien voice warn them. And to each it sounded
familiar—a sweetheart, a son, a hated enemy!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
January 1954
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
In a dwindling spiral they circled the planet, and Murph's cold blue
eyes studied the radarscreen. Things looked good: no sign of cities,
social denizens or humanoids. He was scribbling notes on his desk when
the all-wave above him started crackling.
He watched the green line sweep back and forth along the dial, finally
centering on the wave length which was broadcasting. As it focused, the
speaker sputtered in.
"... in accordance with Interstellar Code," it sounded like a
recording, "... we repeat. Landings and colonizing efforts have been
previously attempted upon this planet. They are not welcome and have
not been successful. Change course and seek other areas. This warning
is being broadcast upon wavelengths available to you and in language
translatable by you in accordance with Interstellar Code...." Murphy
switched it off and looked at his crew of two.
"Well?"
Forsyth grinned at him. "The hell with them! We've heard that from
every race in the solar system—one way or another. I say we land."
Jamison shrugged. "Put 'er down anywhere. Makes no difference to me."
His scarred lips tightened.
"Okay," Murph switched the set back on. The same record was playing,
monotonously.
"Load up with combat equipment, boys. We're going in."
The deadly silver needle tightened the spiral course around the planet,
and above Murph the speaker crackled again and went dead.
"Guess they got tired of playing that record," he muttered.
Another crackling and the mechanism blared again.
"... we see you intend disregarding our warning. In accordance with
Interstellar Code, it is only fair to warn you...." It clicked off
abruptly as Murph jabbed at the switch. No use listening to this
outworld nonsense—he'd heard it all before and lived through it.
"Where's the rest of the fleet?" He threw the question out generally.
"Nine hours behind," Jamison said. "We blast in. They follow us." The
three men were silent as they scanned the radar screen. They whined
above a land mass and Murph juggled the controls and the ship swooped
upward, then settled slowly, riding on the jets. While they waited for
the ground around them to cool, the men climbed into combat gear. The
radar scanned the military hemisphere available and Murph casually
flipped the radio switch again.
"... have disregarded our warning," the voice said, insistently. "In
accordance with the Interstellar Code, we can not now be further
responsible...." It croaked into silence as Murph slammed the switch
closed again.
"Nuts!" he said, buckling a belt around his waist.
"Yeah," said Jamison. "The hell with them—whoever they are."
"Well," said Forsyth—he was the navigator, "now, I'm not so sure...."
"Get dressed," Murph was in command, and he showed it. "We are going
out."
... There was an oddity about the voice, Murph thought, as he dressed.
The voice reminded him of his sweetheart, Sitra, back in Philly on
earth: husky, throaty—and with the soft, vibrant purr of a happy
kitten.
... It reminded Forsyth of his son's tones, during the family farewell
for this expedition. A twinge of concern tautened his body as he
remembered: one never knew when—or if—crews returned from these grim
expansion campaigns of humanity.
... Jamison had another impression. He remembered his days as a
professional fighter and that last, rough brawl when he hadn't quite
made champion. It still rankled. The voice was that of his opponent,
in the seventh round—just when Jamison's knees started to buckle. The
sly, calculated insults in the clinches, intended to make him lose his
head. They had accomplished their purpose. He had charged in slugging,
when he should have hung on—or run backward until his wind returned.
From then on he became a has-been, working steadily downward, until the
manpower needs of humanity had offered an opportunity to pick another
career. His scarred lips, remembering, were a tight line and his eyes
cold and uncompromising.
They'd finished dressing. Murph flipped on the radio again, grinning in
contempt. The voice still vibrated through the ether.
"... that you blast off immediately or assume responsibility for
the consequences. Interstellar Code states that invaded peoples are
justified in using any tactics...." It clicked off. Murph had been
annoyed by the resemblance to Sitra's voice: perhaps he was homesick.
Jamison's lips vanished into a white line and Forsyth looked around,
rabbit-eyed with astonishment, expecting to see his son emerge from
the piles of supplies and equipment. Self-conscious, none of them said
anything.
"Okay," said Murph, "Out we go."
The precision door swung open quietly and the three descended to the
still-smoking ground. Each set up his rapid fire electro-gun, covering
the entrance and then they sat back, waiting. Nothing happened, and
Murph broke the tense silence.
"Turn on the radio," he looked at Forsyth. "We can hear it from here.
I'll man both guns."
Forsyth grunted and vanished into the ship. Murph heard the crackle
as equipment warmed up, and listened to the voice of Sitra. Oddly
enough, Jamison tensed as he heard the voice of the present champion,
and Forsyth nearly cried as his son's tones came through the metallic
speaker. But all the voices said the same thing.
"... subject to unprincipled attack to resist invasion of our homeland.
This is the last time this warning will be broadcast." The receiver
clicked, then dropped into the monotonous hum of a radio on an unused
but still alert wavelength.
Forsyth returned and the three men sat, each back of an electro-gun,
alert eyes scanning the alien landscape. From over a slight rise a mile
off, a figure approached the ship. Murph blinked, doubting his senses,
confused, then his roar broke the silence of the strange world.
"Sitra!" Just one word, but that's all he could do. She looked as she
had when he'd left on this expedition, when they had said goodbye.
Sparkling with sequins in her dressing room, undulating with feathers
in the right places, she walked toward him with the feline grace he'd
learned to love.
"Sitra!" he shouted again. Astonished, he deserted his position behind
the gun and started running across the plain. Gracefully, daintily,
encountering difficulties because of her spiked heels on the rough
terrain, she smiled bravely and hurried toward him.
Forsyth saw the approaching figure too. He tensed with disbelief and
surprise and then his voice rose excitedly.
"Jimmy, Jimmy!" What was his boy doing here? Reason faded as he
watched his nine-year-old son stumbling toward the ship. He unfastened
his harness and slipped from behind the gun: his boy on an alien
planet, confronting unknown dangers! He must—must—get him back to
the ship and the little ring of certainty behind the guns. Forsyth
started across the level space, grateful that the towering hulk of
Murph had recognized his boy and would, on this unknown world, help
bring the kid back to comparative safety. In six hours, now, the
fleet would be here. The boy could be sent home on one of the capital
ships....
Behind him Jamison watched the two figures running away. His face froze
into granite. Rage and resentment surged within him. Across the plain
he saw the man who had stolen, yes, stolen, the championship from
him. The fighter loped toward him casually, sneering and confident.
Jamison felt a surge like an electric shock across his shoulders. His
teeth ground together and he could hear their roaring within his ears.
Deliberately he moved from behind his gun, started at a fighter's dog
trot toward his opponent. It occurred to him that Murph and Forsyth
would beat him there. He was glad they were willing to help, but for
the sake of his own integrity he considered this his fight.
Jamison ran swiftly then. He passed Forsyth and Murph, determined to be
the first to reach the one man he hated. He sprinted eagerly, sucking
the strange air chemicals of this world into his lungs. He was short
of breath. Behind him he heard the heavy thudding of Murph plunging
and plowing toward him, and in addition, the light but rapid steps of
Forsyth. By now he didn't care. He was confronting his opponent.
Dropping into a crouch, Jamison moved in. Feet wide, tense; there
would be no mistake, no error, this time. His fist lashed out and
his opponent fell on the strange and powdery dust of a strange world
millions of miles from their first fight.
The man started struggling up—and again flat-footed, tense, fists like
crunching sledge hammers, Jamison dove at him.
And then it happened. Murph hit Jamison from the side. Raw and choking
with rage, Murph clubbed, groped, kicked, fouled, until the ex-fighter
fell in the pale and strange dust. Murph's voice was hoarse and shaking:
"Hit my woman, will you!" he screamed in rage.
Jamison tried to rally, but each time he moved Murph's fists slammed
against his face and head.
There was a final crash as the back of his head struck against the
rocks on the ground. Jamison lay in the dust on an alien planet and
from behind his right ear gray and reddish matter oozed. He didn't move.
Murph stood up. He looked again at Sitra. He was choked and tired,
standing there, and as he grasped for breath, Forsyth ran by him, ran
up to her. Angrily he watched. Forsyth running up to his woman! What
was wrong with these men? Murph saw Forsyth put his arms around Sitra,
and say—meaninglessly to Murph—"Jimmy, Jimmy!"
Again a red rage filled Murph. He dove forward, smashed into Forsyth,
and the navigator reeled backwards. As he fell back, his feet tangled
in the scrubby vegetation of the planet, he reached toward his belt and
his electro-gun jerked free from the holster. He saw the bull shape of
Murph over him, an enraged beast, and as he fell, the twin electrodes
shot out an energy stream. Fear and hatred tensed his nerves, but
despite the emotion, he set the range right. The sparks arced together
just in front of the great bulk of Murph. There was a crackling and
the smell of burning flesh, then a surprised look upon Murph's face.
The surprise turned to rage and the last thing Forsyth saw was Murph
falling down on him, his clothes and his chest burned away until the
ribs showed, animal rage welling from his lips.
A figure stood fifty feet away and watched this drama. Murph, blood
coughing from his mouth and nose, the great muscles of his chest
nothing but crisp burned meat, reached for Forsyth, picked him up,
holding him over his head as an ape would a man, and slammed him again
and again to the ground.
The final time Murph tried to lift Forsyth, his strength gave out. He
dropped Forsyth's limp form, coughed in a final paroxysm, and fell
beside Forsyth and Jamison.
The figure which stood fifty feet away turned and walked leisurely
back over the rise.
Now, it was not a fighter, and it was not Jimmy, and it was not Sitra.
It was a denizen of the planet and it looked like no human.
Shortly thereafter the all-wave radio in the deadly, powerful silvery
needle standing serenely on the strange world blared again.
"... in accordance with Interstellar Code we have asked that we not be
invaded and are warning you that according to Article 19, Section 3,
fleets which invade a peaceful people become subject to unprincipled
attack, even to the use of psychological weapons."
Five hours away the main fleet streaked toward the planet. The Admiral
looked at the tape reports from the scout ship and at transcripts of
the recorded warning.
"Nuts!" he said. "We go in."
He felt an odd, intuitive twinge. The voice was so much like his
mother's—and she hadn't been well when he'd last seen her. Beside
him the Radioman busily, tersely, sent out landing instructions. He
felt irritable: the voice had sounded just like Peggy—that no-good,
cheating!... He shrugged: just imagination.
In a diminishing spiral, the fleet swung around the planet while the
Admiral scanned the screen for a free landing site.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEAVE, EARTHMEN--OR DIE! ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at
www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit
www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility:
www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.