275 



TKA1.\I.\(; KKSKAKCH ( 1 1 ll.MISTS I\ INDIANA. 



K. C. Maiiix. riirdiic I'liixcrsity. 



During llic few yc.-irs Jiisl pnst we li;ivc liciinl it sliilcl, mikI iiiiiiiy limes 

 rcitci-:itc(l, tli;it sciciililic rcscircli is the mic ;ill iiiiiioitniil iicli\ily for 

 iiJitidiiMl pi-d-rcss. ii:ili(iii:il ;icliic\iMiiriil aiKl luilioiiiil scir-pi-cscrv.-il ion. 

 The h'ssoiis of liic tii-cat \v;ir iioinlcd iiiiinist;i k.-ilijy lo this roiicliisioii and 

 ill! impetus 1im,s iieeii .i,d\(Mi to reseaicli in a multitude of lields. One result 

 of this has been a j;ro\vtli (d" contidence on the part of scientitic leuders 

 and a feeling tliat this one >,'reat lesson of the war would never bo for- 

 liotten. r.ut M similar coulideuce has lu>en felt that other lessons of th(> war 

 would not he forgotten.. It was said that we were learninj; thrift, self-denial 

 and self-tjaerifiee. economical habits of living, altruism and otiier splendid 

 thinf?s. And yet with the relaxation of tension after the close of the Kreat 

 international struj,'i,de we. as a nation, plunged into a riot (d" extravagance 

 and wastefulness such as we had proliably never before Unown. It has 

 even seemed iirobable that we wei-e relnpsinfj into a permanent state of 

 national .seltisluiess and aloofness from tlie troubles of the rest of tlie world. 

 Can it be that we are now to lose also the research spirit, to lapse into the 

 mere "business as usual" habit of considerini: of value only the investiga- 

 tion that makes for immediate profit? 



Whatever the answer to this (piestion may be. it is irenerally conceded that 

 scientitic researcli cannot go on. either with or without nniterial support, 

 unless we can someliow continue to give to an intelli.gent and able body of 

 men and women wlio have shown si)ecial ai>titude for this kind of work, 

 special training in the necessary methods of scientitic investigation and, 

 at tlie same time, to inspire them with enthusiasm for this high sort of 

 endeavor. Quoting from a recent circular issued by the National Research 



Council. "It" (the Council) "hopes to encourage the interest of 



universities and colleges in research work and workers so that the inspir- 

 ati(m and training of American youth for scientitic work may never fall 

 so low as to threaten to interrupt the constantly needed output of well- 

 trained and devoted scientific talent in the land". 



This brings us, at once, to the examination of the ipiestion of what things 

 are necessary to provide opportunity for such training and of what w^e in 

 Indiana are now doing in the way of providing this opportunity. 



I have a notion that what I am here to say will apply in cohsiderable 

 measure to nearly all branches of pure and applied science. But In ortter 

 to forestall if possible, certain criticisms that I might, through ignorance, 

 be unable to meet, I shall confine myself to the one matter covered by the 

 subject of this paper : the training of chcuii.its for research. 



My first proiKisition is that such procedin-e must be based ujion a very 

 broad and thorough drill in the fundam(>ntals of the science. Xo chem- 

 ical researcli problem, however narrow or limite<l in its ai)i»lication it may 

 seem to be. can be investi.gated with elliciency and Ihonmghness hy one 

 who has onTy a smattering of basic laws and facts, of this and of related 

 sciences, ii^ will almost immediately find himself l)alked by ignorance of 

 scientific principles, following false trails (u- endeavt)ring to obtain experi- 



