204 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



who are not up to very much good in the battle of life. 

 Now, I think we are beginning to acknowledge that 

 theory is only a systematic practice and practice 

 without theory is very often poor practice and we 

 recognise that science is but ordered knowledge, and 

 that if we are to succeed in the great endeavours which 

 we as a nation have to make, if we are to keep abreast 

 of the progress which other countries are making, and 

 are to preserve the position of superiority for our 

 manufactures and trade we have enjoyed in the past, 

 every effort must be made to put our educational house 

 in order and to see that the sciences upon which the 

 manufactures and industries of this country are based 

 are taught to the people of every class from top to 

 bottom. 



Of course I frequently took occasion to hold forth 

 on the efforts made by the German Government to 

 encourage scientific training. I quoted the well-known 

 case of Strassburg, where a University was founded at 

 great cost as soon as the war was concluded; ,700,000 

 being set aside for building and a subsidy of ,43,000 

 per annum as income. 



Touching the fact that in many towns in England 

 both masters and men engaged in industrial pursuits 

 had not yet freed themselves from a rule of thumb 

 practice, and did not appreciate the value of the appli- 

 cation of scientific method to their work, I congratulated 

 the population of Sheffield on the steps they had taken 

 to endeavour to remedy this defect. I pointed out that 

 the Sheffield people know what they want better than 

 anybody else, and their Technical School supplies that 

 want. It contains as complete a metallurgical depart- 

 ment as exists in the country. It has an excellent staff 

 of teachers, and the students are intelligent and in- 

 dustrious. But, I asked, is everything done that might 



