476 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Meldola, and Mr. R. Threlfall, with Sir W. S. M'Cormick as 

 administrative Chairman. 



It will be noted that with the exception of the Chairman all 

 are Fellows of the Royal Society. 



The duties of the Advisory Council will be to advise the 

 Committee of Council on — 



(i) proposals for instituting specific researches ; 



(ii) proposals for establishing special institutions or de- 

 veloping existing institutions for the scientific study 

 of problems affecting particular industries ; 



(iii) the granting of Research Studentships and Fellow- 

 ships. 



It is recognised that it will probably be necessary in due 

 course to strengthen the Advisory Council by appointing 

 additional members. 



6. It is proposed to ask the Royal Society and other leading 

 scientific societies and associations to initiate proposals for the 

 consideration of the Advisory Council, and to establish a regular 

 procedure for inviting and collecting proposals. 



7. The Advisory Council will frame a scheme for their own 

 guidance in recommending proposals for research and for the 

 guidance of the Committee of Council in allocating funds. 

 One of their chief functions will be the prevention of overlapping 

 between institutions or individuals engaged in research. 



The Memorandum states that difficulties in the way of the 

 scheme owing to the war have not been overlooked or under- 

 estimated, but "we cannot hope to improvise an effective system 

 at the moment when hostilities cease, and unless during the 

 present period we are able to make a substantial advance we 

 shall certainly be unable to do what is necessary in the equally 

 difficult period of reconstruction which will follow the war." 



This statement may be commended to the notice of those 

 who are urging that all efforts to advance education and re- 

 search should cease until the war is over. 



The Memorandum also points out that a great part of all 

 research will necessarily be done in State-aided universities and 

 colleges and that the supply and training of competent research- 

 workers can only be secured through the public system of 

 education. 



Unfortunately, our universities and colleges have to face 



