556 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



out value, but will, like the late Prince 

 Consort, favor the direct encouragement 

 of scienee by the Government. 



A pbophet is not needed to tell us 

 that the relations between the Govern- 

 ment and science will be closer in the 

 twentieth century than ever before. 

 Hundreds of millions of dollars are now 

 annually spent by the leading nations 

 in preparing for wars which may not 

 oceur, while only a small provision is 

 made for the industrial wars continual- 

 ly in progress. In spite of recent events, 

 it is likely that wars with ships and 

 armies will gradually cease, and, while 

 they continue, the results will depend 

 increasingly on industrial and scientific 

 factors. It is not so important for us 

 to own warships as to know how to 

 build and man them. It is not so es- 

 sential to alter the rifle each time an 

 improvement is made as to be able to 

 invent and make the best rifle when 

 needed. But supremacy among the na- 

 tions no longer depends chiefly on per- 

 formance in time of war. The rivalry in 

 trade and manufactures, the struggle 

 for material success and intellectual pre- 

 eminence has become increasingly se- 

 vere. As one species has supplanted an- 

 other, not so much by directly opposing 

 it, as by fitting itself better to the en- 

 vironment, so that nation will now sur- 

 vive and supplant others which is best 

 able to adjust itself to existing condi- 

 tions. First in importance are certain 

 moral qualities which at present the 

 State can not greatly forward; but next 

 after these are the training and efficient 

 use of intellectual traits, and here much 

 can be accomplished by proper organiza- 

 tion and the offering of opportunity. 

 In the United States the establishment 

 of unrivaled scientific and educational 

 institutions would have an important 

 function in unifying the nation and 

 giving expression to its spirit. The 

 patriotism and loyalty which in 

 Great Britain find their emblem in the 

 monarch must here seek other expres- 

 >ion. They could take no better form 



than pride in the scientific and educa- 

 tional institutions of the nation. 



As a matter of fact, the United 

 States Government does make larger 

 provision for scientific work than any 

 other nation. The bills now before Con- 

 gress will assign to this purpose perhaps 

 $9,000,000. This is by no means a small 

 sum, yet it is only 12 cents from each 

 of us, and there is every reason to ad- 

 vocate its increase as rapidly as men 

 can be found to whom the money may 

 be safely entrusted. The Department 

 of Agriculture and the Geological Sur- 

 vey have earned the confidence of the 

 country, and their appropriations will 

 be increased. Thus the House has ap- 

 proved an item allotting an additional 

 $100,000 to the Division of Forestry. It 

 is probable that the arts and manufac- 

 tures would profit more by the estab- 

 lishment of a department corresponding 

 to the Department of Agriculture than 

 by the continuation of a protective 

 tariff. A step in this direction will 

 doubtless be made by this or the next 

 Congress in the authorization of a Na- 

 tional Standardizing Bureau. The bill 

 has been approved by committees of the 

 Senate and of the House, and only pres- 

 sure of other business is likely to in- 

 terfere with its immediate adoption. As 

 we have already explained, the United 

 States is in this direction far behind na- 

 tions with smaller resources, and it is 

 satisfactory to know that this state of 

 affairs will not long continue. 



There are two directions in which 

 the appropriations of the Government 

 for scientific work should be increased, 

 and there are special reasons why these 

 should be urged by men of science not 

 engaged in the Government service. We 

 refer to proper salaries for certain of 

 the scientific men at Washington and 

 the adequate support of the United 

 States National Museum. It is unwise 

 for scientific men employed by the Gov- 

 ernment to ask for an increase of salary, 

 as they thereby lose influence and are re- 

 garded as self-seeking. A strong presen- 



