midnight
Then he laughed out loud and took up the pencil again . This amateur , whoever he was , was almost as good as his detective story . The `` bug '' called the Naval Observatory once more and began repeating his entire message for the third time . `` To all mankind '' -- he addressed himself modestly -- `` To all mankind -- To all mankind -- I am the dictator -- of human destiny -- Through the earth 's rotation -- I control -- day and night -- summer and winter -- I command the -- cessation of hostilities and -- the abolition of war upon the globe -- I appoint the -- United States -- as my agent for this purpose -- As evidence of my power I shall increase the length of the day -- from midnight to midnight -- of Thursday , July 22d , by the period of five minutes . -- PAX . '' The jolly joker , having repeated thus his extraordinary message to all mankind , stopped sending . `` Well , I 'll be hanged ! ''