348 



NATURE 



[November io, 1921 



an epoch in the scientific development of radio com- 

 munication, he said that the earnest hope of the 

 American nation is that the peace which blesses their 

 own land may presently become the fortune of all 

 lands and peoples. The station belongs to the Radio 

 Corporation of New York, which already possesses 

 several stations capable of carrying Transatlantic 

 traffic, notably with Great Britain, Norway, Germany, 

 and France. These stations are said to be capable of 

 transmitting automatically at speeds of fifty words 

 per minute. In the new station six separate antennae 

 mounted on towers 400 ft, high radiate from a 

 common centre. They are each equipped with their 

 own 200-kw. alternator. When completed, the space 

 occupied by the station and its radiating antennae will 

 te 10 square miles. It is said to be capable of trans- 

 mitting at 100 words per minute. It can transmit 

 and receive messages in all directions simultaneously. 

 President Harding's radiogram was received by 

 stations In Great Britain, Norway, France, Germany, 

 and Australia, and doubtless by many others. Ac- 

 cording to the Times, the letters WQK are the call- 

 letters of the new station. The frequency of the 

 alternating-current supply is about 19,000. The wave- 

 length used, one of the thirty-nine which have been 

 allotted internationally to the United States, is 

 16,465 metres. 



Section 1 (5) of the Safeguarding of Industries Act 

 provided for the appointment of a referee bv the Lord 

 Chancellor to decide complaints against the Inclusion 

 or exclusion of articles from the Board of Trade's 

 published lists of articles under the key industry part 

 of the Act. The Times of October 27 contained an 

 announcement that Mr. Cyril Atkinson, K.C., has 

 been appointed. A day later It was announced that 

 our Customs authorities had given notice that no 

 further consignments of goods coming within the 

 scope of the Act should be sent from abroad until 

 further notice, as their staffs were inadequate to deal 

 with the goods already lying at the docks awaiting 

 examination. The worst prognostications of the op- 

 ponents of the Key Industries Bill are thus justified. 

 Leaving out of consideration altogether the utility of 

 the measure, it cannot be denied that It was rushed 

 through the Commons, where practically all amend- 

 ments were brushed aside, and treated as a Money 

 Bill, thus preventing discussion In the Lords. It is 

 already unpopular among many manufacturers and 

 traders, and has roused a strong feeling of resentment 

 among scientific workers. Many complaints have been 

 received by the Board of Trade, so that Mr. Atkinson 

 will probably be kept busy. A deputation represent- 

 ing the British Association of Chemists, which was 

 received at the Board of Trade on October 26 by Mr. 

 P. W. Ashley, took exception to the inclusion under 

 the Act of some hundreds of chemical products that 

 are not made in this country at the present time, 

 and to many other products that are deemed by the 

 association to be outside the scope of the schedule 

 of the Act. 



The Mount Everest Expedition returned to Dar- 

 jeellng on October 25. Col. Howard Bury's last 

 .despatch to the Times gives an account of the journey 

 NO, 2715, VOL, 108] 



from the base at Kharta, which occupied twenty days. 

 The march from Kharta was up the Arun and Kaichu 

 Valleys to Lumeh, Thence the route chosen was via 

 the Ouiok (Cuckoo) Pass and the Gadompa rope 

 bridge over the Arun to TInkI Dzong and Kham|)a 

 Dzong, which was reached on October 11, Messrs. 

 Heron, Wheeler, and Raeburn then went south over 

 the Serpola Pass and the Teesta Valley through 

 SIkkim to Darjeellng, but, owing to the lack of trans- 

 port on that route. Col. Bury and Mr. Wollaston had 

 to take the main caravan back via LInghi and Pharl. 

 Heavy weather and much snow were encountered on 

 this part of the route, but Darjeellng was reached 

 without mishap. The season's work has been very 

 satisfactory, and only bad weather prevented the 

 climbers reaching a higher altitutie on the possible 

 route to the summit of Mount Everest which was 

 found on the north-east. The coolies were a great 

 success and gave no trouble. Many of them suffered 

 no ill-effects at high altitudes, and have volunteered 

 for next year's expedition. The surveyors under 

 Major Morshead have mapped an area of more than 

 13,000 square miles, and Major Wheeler made a 

 photographic survey of the whole of the Everest 

 group. Important geological and biological collections 

 have been made by Dr. Heron and Mr. Wollaston. 

 The latter is also bringing back a large collection of 

 seeds from the valleys round Mount Everest. 



At the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society 

 on Monday the president announced that the members 

 of the Mount Everest Expedition are now on their 

 way home, and will be received at a meeting of the 

 society in the Queen's Hall on December 20. Messrs. 

 Mallory and Bullock, who climbed one of the north- 

 eastern buttresses of Mount Everest to within some 

 6000 ft. of the summit, are satisfied that the actual 

 configuration of the mountain should not prevent the 

 top being reached. Next year's expedition is planned 

 to leave Darjeellng about March 21 in order that 

 May and June may be devoted to the climb, as these 

 appear to be the best months. Col. Howard Bury is 

 unable to resume the leadership next year, but some 

 of the other members of this year's expedition will 

 go out again. The climbing party is to consist of six 

 men. Many of the Himalayan coolies employed this 

 year have volunteered to return. The total cost of 

 the expedition so far, excluding what the Govern- 

 ment of India may have expended In surve}', is about 

 5000Z. The president paid a tribute to the Tibetan 

 authorities for the great assistance they have shown 

 to the expedition. 



The annual Huxley lecture of the Royal Anthropo- 

 logical Institute for the present year will be delivered 

 by Mr. H. Balfour In the lecture-room of the Royal 

 Society on Tuesday, November 29, at 8.30. The title 

 will be "The Archer's Bow In the Homeric Poems." 



The following have been elected officers of the Cam- 

 bridge Philosophical Society for the session 1921-22 : — 

 President: Prof. Seward. Vice-Presidents: Mr. 

 C. T. R. Wilson, Dr. E. H. Griffiths, and Prof. 

 Newall. Treasurer: Mr, F. A, Potts, Secretaries: 

 Mr. H. H. Brindley, Prof. Baker, and Mr. F. W. 

 Aston, New Members of the Council: Mr, H, H, 



