14 THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA 



or other matters that promise financial reward. I do not say 

 that a chemist in an academic position should not turn his 

 attention to technical problems if his inclinations and abilities 

 lie in that direction, but I do say that when this condition be- 

 comes practically obligatory, the ideals of scientific scholarship 

 will depart from our universities. 



Finally, a considerable number of chemists who have estab- 

 lished their reputations and have demonstrated their ability in 

 productive research, are in demand for technical research posi- 

 tions. Particularly since the outbreak of the war, numbers of 

 chemists have left their chairs to take up technical research 

 work. While this tendency has been accentuated by war con- 

 ditions, the movement was well under way some years before 

 the war began and it gives evidence of continuing after the 

 war is over. 



What then will be the consequences? What influence will 

 these conditions have on the development of chemistry, in fact, 

 on the development of science generally in America? Unques- 

 tionably, unless pure scientific work can be made to appear pos- 

 sible even if not attractive from a financial point of view, pure 

 science will fall to a level relatively lower than that which it 

 now occupies. The qualifications of our teachers of science 

 will deteriorate, and ideals of research, which for a time were 

 rapidly growing, will degenerate and we, a great nation in 

 numbers and natural resources, will find ourselves outdistanced 

 by nations who are less fortunately situated but who handle 

 their problems in a more intelligent manner. Nor should the 

 industries lull themselves to sleep with the thought that, since 

 they command the best scientific talent of the country, they 

 have nothing to fear. A fountain rises no higher than its 

 source, and our men will take away with them from the uni- 

 versities ideals which are on a par with those of their 

 professors. 



The situation is fraught with the gravest consequences for 

 the industries. For, while industrial research has obtained an 

 uncommonly firm foothold in America during the past fifteen 

 years, there are required thousands of men imbued with the 

 highest ideals and trained according to the best standards. 



