December 6, 19 17] 



NATURE 



267 



We have already directed attention to the 

 action which the United States has taken in con- 

 nection with the same subject, even before its 

 entrance into the war. A report to his Govern- 

 ment by Dr. C. L. Parsons, which has recently 

 been published, contains a mass of valuable in- 

 formation as the result of inquiries and visits to 

 manufacturing plants in various European coun- 

 tries. As regards the account of the arc process 

 of synthesising nitric acid, there is little that is 

 lot generally known to experts in this country. 

 its position as a permanent industry depends 

 largely on local conditions, which are now well 

 understood. Of the Haber process for the pro- 

 duction of ammonia, to which the German Chan- 

 cellor referred in such exulting terms, we have 

 as yet no very precise information concerning 

 plant construction and operation. The method is 

 not at present at work as a manufacturing process 

 outside Germany, and its post-war use in other 

 countries will probably be restricted owing to the 

 practically prohibitive royalty demanded by the 

 Badische Company. It is, however, known to be 

 a difficult, and even dangerous, process to work. 

 Its technical control requires so high a degree of 

 training and skill that Dr. Parsons is assured 

 that if the Badische people were to lose their 

 present staff many months would be required to 

 train another. There can, however, be no doubt 

 of its success. It was first commercially installed 

 in Germany in 191 3, when it was said to have pro- 

 duced 20,000 tons of ammonium sulphate. In 

 1914 this grew to 60,000 tons, in 1915 to 150,000 

 tons, and in 1916 to 300,000 tons. With the new 

 ■works recently completed by the Badische Com- 

 pany the 191 7 output will be equivalent to up- 

 "wards of 500,000 tons of ammonium sulphate. As 

 regards cost, it is stated that pure anhydrous 

 ammonia can thus be produced in liquid condition 

 at less than 4 cents per lb. If such is the case, 

 the Haber method is the cheapest process yet 

 known for the production of synthetic ammonia. 



The cyanamide process for producing ammonia 

 resembles the arc process of making nitric acid 

 in requiring cheap power for its successful 

 development. In special circumstances it may be 

 able to hold its own with the Haber process, as 

 seems to be realised in Germany, where the 

 method has been subsidised by the Government. 

 It is said that the 1917 German production of 

 cyanamide will be not far short of 400,000 tons. 

 Agrarian interests are endeavouring to induce the 

 Government to establish a nitrogen monopoly to 

 ensure the continuance of the cyanamide industry 

 in Germany, in view of the competition of the 

 Haber process and of coke-oven ammonia after 

 the war. 



As regards by-product ammonia and the 

 cyanide process, and the methods of transforming 

 ammonia into nitric acid, there is little in Dr. 

 Parsons's report which is not now common know- 

 ledge. Naturally his conclusions and recommenda- 

 i tions are more particularly applicable to the cir- 

 cumstances of America, but there is much in his 

 arguments and in the details of his estimates of 

 NO. 2510, VOL. 100] 



construction and of operating costs that will 

 necessitate, and will doubtless receive, sym- 

 pathetic attention in this country. 



One fact clearly emerges from this considera- 

 tion of the nitrogen problem. The combined 

 efforts of the warring nations in seeking the means 

 for their mutual destruction will inevitably ensure 

 the future position of agriculture and the produc- 

 tion of cheap food to those who come after us. 

 Out of this evil at least this good will come. 



SCIENCE AND OTHER HUMANISTIC 

 STUDIES IN SCHOOLS.^ 

 '"F'HE report edited by Sir Frederic Kenyon 

 -■- gives evidence of progress towards that 

 agreement among educational experts which is 

 necessary if the construction of a scheme designed 

 for general adoption is to meet with general 

 acceptance. A serious obstacle to this progress 

 is "the great mass of ill-informed public 

 opinion, which distrusts or despises all education, 

 or measures its value by its immediate money- 

 earning capacity." This remark, to be found on 

 the first page of the report, is perfectly true; but 

 it is equally true that another serious hindrance 

 has been the obstinate refusal of so many of the 

 supporters of the old-established classical system 

 to yield ground and to recognise the claims of 

 modern subjects, especially science, to any con- 

 siderable share in the time, emoluments, and 

 honours which have so long been the portion of 

 the older studies. "The object of the present 

 pamphlet is to record certain attempts that have 

 been made to give a healthier tone to the discus- 

 sion ; to show that a large measure of agreement 

 is possible, . . . and to bring the weight of 

 this agreement to bear on the solution of the out- 

 standing problems which have been the cause of 

 bitter controversy in the past." 



The starting point of the movement here de- 

 scribed was a letter which appeared in the Times 

 of February 2, 1916, in which the educational 

 claims of science were put forward with consider- 

 able emphasis. This was followed by the meet- 

 ing at the Linnean Society on May 3, which has 

 been completely reported in a pamphlet entitled 

 "The Neglect of Science." A rejoinder was 

 published in the Press of May 4, 19 16, signed by 

 Lord Bryce and a number of other eminent per- 

 sons. This letter, though containing some state- 

 ments which were open to criticism, was con- 

 ceived in a liberal and conciliatory spirit, which 

 could not fail to have a good effect. 



A movement was then begun with the object of 

 securing co-operation among the principal bodies 

 representing "humanistic" studies in their educa- 

 tional aspect, and a conference was held on June 

 17, 1916, in which representatives of the Classical, 

 English, Geographical, Historical, and Modem 

 Language Associations took part. The result was 



1 " Education. Scientilic and Humane." A Report of the Proceeding* of 

 the Council for Humanistic Studies. Edited by Sir Frederic G. Kenyon. 

 Pp. 32. (Ixjndon : John Murray, 1917.) Price M. net. — Con-mittee on 

 the Neglect of Science. Report for the Year 1916-17. (Hon. Sec 17 

 Grosvenor Road, Westminster, S.W.i.) 



