228 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XVI, No. 6, 



chemistry, particularly when discussing foreign chemical achieve- 

 ment, and still worse when in a non-chemical publication, the 

 object can scarcely be rated as creditable. 



A good illustration of this is an article published by the 

 Review of Reviews for August, 1915, upon "What German 

 chemists are doing to make Germany self-sustaining," by Hugo 

 Schweitzer, who the editor humanely states is an American 

 chemist. Considering the avowed purpose of the article as 

 attempting to influence American public opinion to stop "a// 

 exports to all belligerent nations," the article gives an interesting 

 appreciation of the German chemist's efforts to meet their 

 present problems, but commences to wind up as follows : 



"Thus the horrors of war, through the ingenuity of the Ger- 

 man chemists, are promoting the legitimate industry of the 

 nation, rendering it more and more independent of foreign 

 conditions, and keeping in the country vast sums formerly 

 spent for imports. Unfortunately and unexpectedly we cannot 

 record similar advantages for the United States, although we are 

 enjoying peace.'' The inaccuracy of the last statement we hope 

 is no measure of the truthfulness of the article as a whole. If 

 the myth of the overwhelming industrial chemical superiority 

 of German chemists ever was really believed, in that country, 

 the military forces of the Central Powers at least, must marvel 

 at the reason the supposedly inferior foreign industrial chemists 

 have been able to display such astounding ability and speed in 

 meeting the problems of munitions production, particularly too 

 in countries where governmental mobilization of industries was 

 unknown before the war and in America at least, still is unknown. 

 At any rate, it has become evident that lack of advertisement 

 is no sign of lack of ability or activity, and that ability to handle 

 science skillfully and powerfully is not confined to any race or 

 nation. We do not feel that there is much to be gained by 

 confuting claims of the chemical superiority, of foreign coun- 

 tries in this and other similar articles for it is curious how this 

 war has developed farsightedness to the extent that such 

 Americans can see only the chemical developments abroad. 



I hope I have made it clear that it is the abuse of a privilege 

 against which I speak, and not against individuals, for we do 

 not let such personal attacks affect our regard for individual 

 Germans any more than we allow our opinions on the history 



