brooks: applied geology 47 



thought to better the conditions of her people. The present 

 turmoil in China can probably be interpreted, in the last analysis 

 as a protest against the affairs of state being guided by the classi- 

 cist rather than by the scientist. 



While we may criticise China for not accepting the dictum of 

 science, we have only recently departed from a similar attitude, 

 though our abundant resources have made our own faults less 

 conspicuous. In this respect the present generation has made 

 greater strides than all "that preceded. We are now applying 

 science to the affairs of the nation as never before. The old- 

 fashioned publicist, with his classical education or, at least, 

 traditions, is being shouldered out of the way by the man who 

 analyzes the problems of public welfare on scientific principles. 

 The trained investigator is being more and more appealed to in 

 the affairs of the nation. In this we are following Germany, whose 

 long leadership in pure science has now been overshadowed by her 

 leadership in applied science. We have begun to realize, that 

 it is one thing to win prosperity and happiness out of the bounty 

 of a new land, another to gain it by utilizing resources which can 

 only be made available by scientific genius. 



Mr. Gilbert has said that " pure science is fundamentally the 

 creature and servant of the material needs of mankind." Yet it 

 is not uncommon to find the devotee of pure science assuming that 

 his field is on a higher plane than that of those studying problems 

 which involve the material welfare of the human race. This 

 seems specially true in the field of geology. If a bacteriologist 

 finds a new toxin for a disease germ, a botanist a new food plant, 

 a sanitary engineer a measure for preserving human life, all unite 

 in commending his work. Yet there are not a few geologists, 

 though I believe a constantly decreasing number, who seem to 

 view with suspicion any attempt to make the science of geology 

 more useful. Those who are devoting themselves to economic 

 geology are charged with commercializing the science, as if the 

 applying of its principles to better the conditions of the people 

 were not the highest use to which scientific research could be put. 

 One reason for this attitude is because much which has been mas- 

 querading as applied geology is not science at all. The commer- 



