December 30, 1915] 



NATURE 



481 



the United States various eng^ineering- societies 

 have collaborated as the " United Engineering- 



J Society," little is being done in this direction in 

 Great Britain. The Society of Chemical Indus- 

 try is attempting to collect a register of manu- 

 facturing chemists, but it is an expensive under- 

 taking. It is, however, hoped that something 

 tangible may be published in 1916. 



There are obviously two questions, which, how- 

 ever, are closely related. First, how can the 

 scientific and technical ability of the entente be 

 utilised to the best effect in prosecuting- the war? 

 and, secondly, how can the efforts which Germany 



i will undoubtedly make after the war to secure 



' complete industrial ascendancy best be defeated? 

 M. Painleve, the French Minister for Education, 

 points out the necessity for the best brains and 

 the best plant in France being utilised to assist 



' the Army and Navy. This war is more and more 

 becoming- dependent on engineers and chemists, 

 and to conquer, all talent must be mobilised on 

 a national footing. The excellence of the idea is 

 obvious ; the difficulties arise in arranging details. 

 In England, too, it may be said that every man 

 connected with science and industry is eager to 

 do his utmost to help his country, but it is by no 

 means easy to assign to each his task. Progress 

 is, however, being made, although perhaps not 

 so fast as might be desired. 



The production of munitions of war goes on 

 apace. Not merely are old and long-established 

 works being driven to their utmost capacity, but 

 large new works are being erected for the manu- 

 facture of chemicals required for war purposes. 

 These are being- well equipped with modern plant, 

 and will turn out enormous quantities of such 

 materials. But it is to be noted that the appar- 

 atus with which they are furnished differs but 

 little from that required in many chemical works ; 

 tanks, steam coils, towers, stills, filter-presses, 

 and the like are necessary, and are being pro- 

 vided. Now this raises a serious question. The 

 war will not last for ever, and it would appear 

 to be necessary to make arrangements for the 

 utilisation of such plant and equipment, of labour 

 and superintendence, when there is no longer a 

 demand for thousands of tons of high explosives. 

 The problem is a pressing one, and must not be 

 long postponed. We cannot afi"ord to "wait and 

 see." It would be disastrous if, after the war, 

 all staffs were dismissed, all plant scrapped and 

 sold, and the whole organisation broken up. 



The Committee under the Board of Education is 

 a body charged with the furtherance of " indus- 

 trial research." The object is admirable; but it 

 appears to the writer that it is much more press- 

 ing to consider how to utilise these new and ex- 

 tended works in the future than to attempt to 

 develop new and untried industrial processes, 

 unless, indeed, these can be carried on in the 

 munition works after the end of the war. The 

 task is one of great magnitude. First and fore- 

 most, it involves coming- into touch with every 

 chemical manufacturer in the country and appeal- 

 ing to his patriotism to do his best, in conjunc- 

 NO. 2409, VOL. 96] 



tion with his fellows, to co-operate for the benefit 

 of alL/ Is this possible? For there exists a feel- 

 ing of mutual distrust, difficult, if not impossible, 

 to eradicate ; and this feeling is not unnatural. 

 Even in well-known processes, improvements are 

 constantly being made which may have the effect 

 of rendering remunerative what would otherwise 

 not pay. Often the " tips " are not patentable ; 

 often to j>atent them would be to give them away 

 to comjjetitors. Little wonder that the successful 

 manufacturer has resolved on a policy of rigor- 

 ously excluding the public from his works and 

 patenting as few processes as possible. Our 

 patent laws lend themselves to litigation, and 

 litigation means loss of time and annoyance, if 

 not loss of money. For this reason, too, the 

 chemical manufacturer is not willing to co-op>erate 

 with his fellows. He will tell what he sells ; he will 

 not tell what he makes. Yet it might perhaps be 

 possible to induce at least a certain number of manu- 

 facturers to draw together for patriotic reasons. 



In the uncertainty whether Protection will be- 

 come the policy of this country, or whether the 

 stocks accumulating in Germany will not be 

 "dumped" in Great Britain at the close of the 

 war, no one feels inclined to risk capital. Pro- 

 positions for a customs union among the Allies 

 have been hinted at, but are not as yet seriously 

 discussed. Yet without such safeguards, or per- 

 haps an even more drastic policy, German com- 

 mercial aggression cannot be withstood. It will 

 again be national organisation against lack of 

 organisation. And even though the Hohcnzolierns 

 and the Habsburgs may be dethroned, it is too 

 much to expect that the German nation will lose 

 her power of acting as a whole, and bringing all 

 her commercial and manufacturing combinations 

 to bear on the commerce and manufacture of the 

 Allies, with the view of annihilating them. For 

 a time, patriotic societies may refuse to buy 

 German goods; but such goods will be insidiously 

 introduced through neutral countries under faked 

 names, and before long the commercial war will 

 be actively prosecuted. That is what we must 

 look forward to, and it surely demands the most 

 careful planning if we and our friends the Allies 

 are successfully to combat such industrial war- 

 fare. The prospect is not pleasing ; it is very 

 difficult to face ; and if we are to place our- 

 selves in a position to do so, serious political 

 changes are imperative in this country. The prac- 

 tical men must obtain control ; they must be 

 assisted by the highest scientific advice procur- 

 able. Moreover, all must co-operate for their 

 country's good and for their own salvation. 



It would appear to be the legitimate task of the 

 Committee on Industrial Research to endeavour 

 to make a beginning. If their powers are in- 

 sufficient, let them be increased. They might add 

 to their number men of affairs and industrial ex- 

 perience likely to be helpful. The most useful 

 form which " research " can take at the present 

 moment is the inquiry how our industries are to 

 meet German attack after the war is over. 



William Ramsay. 



