February 28, 19 18] 



NATURE 



513 



capable of a speed approaching 120 miles per hour; the 

 Aviatik L.V.G., a two-seater with a speed of about 

 100 miles per hour; and the Gotha, a three-seater 

 bombing machine, with a speed of ninety miles per 

 hour. The general type of construction is still heavier 

 than that of French aeroplanes, requiring a larger 

 engine for a machine of the same performance. M. 

 Lefranc's contributions to ha Nature have been com- 

 mented upon several times in these columns, and the 

 present article, like its predecessors, is well worth read- 

 ing. 



By permission of the Air Board, the Engineer is 

 publishing full particulars and illustrations of the 

 '• Maybach " motor as used by the Germans in their 

 Zeppelin airships, and of the " Mercedes." engine as 

 used in the Gotha aeroplanes. The first article, which 

 appears in the issue for February 22, is descriptive of 

 the Maybach engine, particulars of which were ob- 

 tained from a study of the motors of the German air- 

 ship S.L.I I, which w'as brought down at Cuflfley in 

 September, 1916, by Lieut. W. L. Robinson. The 

 Merc6des engine described is one of two recovered 

 from the wreck of a Gotha biplane of the pusher type, 



K ought down in Flanders last April. Each of the 

 ur Maybach engines carried by the airship had six 

 rtical water-cooled cylinders, giving about 200 b.h.p. 

 at 1200 revolutions. Each engine drove an 18-ft. two- 

 bladed propeller. The circulation of w-ater in the 

 jackets is believed to have been achieved by means of 

 a ihermo-syphon system, working in conjunction with 

 a large honeycomb radiator for each engine, and 

 assisted by an accelerator driven from the engine 

 crank-shaft. The exhaust pipe is also water-jacketed, 

 presumably in order to prevent o.n accidental fire. 

 Drawings of all the more important details are in- 

 cluded in the article. 



THE ASSOCIATION OF TECHNICAL 

 INSTITUTIONS. 



AFTER an interregnum of three years, owing to the 

 war, the Association of Technical Institutions 

 resumed its annual meeting on Friday last, February 

 22, in the hall of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, 

 in the City of London. The meeting was numerously 

 attended, and was comprised of representatives of the 

 governors, together with the principals of most of the 

 technical institutions of the United Kingdom. Sir 

 Alfred Keogh, G.C.B., Avho has been president of the 

 association since 1914, was re-elected for 1918. He 

 has now resumed his duties as rector of the Imperial 

 College of Science and Technology, having resigned 

 his position as director of the Army Medical Service. 

 In his presidential address he emphasised the value of 

 science and scientific training, as demonstrated in the 

 great results which, during the course of this deplorable 

 war, have been achieved in the sphere of medical and 

 -'■rgical practice, in relation to the health of the soldier 

 lering from sickness and wounds, and especially in 

 ling with diseases which worked such terrible havoc 

 "he military campaigns of past histor\'. The medi- 

 profession has rendered splendid service not only 

 Flie treatment of disease, but also in its prevention. 

 Sir Alfred Keogh believes that the nation has come 

 • last to recognise the place that science must occupy 

 the domain of industr)-, and also in the 

 i<re of administration, both local and Imperial, 

 ich cannot achieve its best and greatest results 

 less its personnel be guided by the spirit and dis- 

 cries of science. The new Education Bill of Mr. 

 her marks an immense step forward. The educa- 

 1 of the children of the nation, especially in view of 

 immense sacrifice of the best of our young man- 



NO. 2522, VOL. 100] 



hood, has become a question of most serious moment, 

 since they must now assume, at an unusually early 

 age, grave responsibilities, far in advance of their time, 

 in the conduct of affairs. The effective training and 

 the due reward of the teacher are also matters of most 

 i grave concern, since, unless these are provided, and 

 the teacher placed beyond anxiety, no education worthy 

 of the name can p6ssibly be ensured. 



The training of teachers for technical institutions 

 and for day continuation schools and classes was the 

 , subject of a paper read by Principal Watson, of Keigh- 

 ley. Mr. Watson showed how considerable the de- 

 mand would be, illustrating by the submission of statis- 

 I tical data derived from inquiries made in Keighley, a 

 town of 45,000 inhabitants, from which it appeared 

 j that in that town provision must be made for at least 

 I 2800 young persons between fourteen and eighteen 

 i years of age, requiring at least twenty-five specially 

 I trained additional teachers, from which it is deduced 

 that at least 20,000 more teachers will be required of 

 ; especial character in England and Wales to give 

 I adequate effect to the provisions of the Bill with respect 

 1 to day continuation schools. This is in addition to 

 j the extra provision required in the elementary day 

 ! schools, due to the large number of children who will, 

 j under the provisions of the Bill, now be in constant 

 I attendance in the schools up to fourteen years of age. 

 The feeling that the education of pupils in the day 

 I continuation classes should be based upon liberal lines 

 i without vocational bias found strong expression. 

 I Sir Philip Magnus opened a discussion on the best 

 means of continued education, advocating that much 

 i advantage is to be gained from a half-time system 

 ! extending from the age of fourteen until sixteen, with 

 provision for continued education up to eighteen outside 

 the ordinary working hours for at least six hours a 

 week; but the feeling that the association should give 

 i unwavering support to the continued education clauses 

 of the Bill as they stand received practically unanimous 

 support. With a view to a more adequate scale 

 of salaries for teachers in technical institutions 

 and with the purpose of securing the services of men 

 of high attainments and ripe technical experience, and 

 to the provision of a suitable scheme of pensions and 

 disablement allowances, it was urged by the associa- 

 tion that much larger State grants should be forth- 

 coming in aid of the work of technical institutions. 



The regulations for junior technical schools were the 

 subject of much adverse criticism. It was demanded 

 that the course of instruction should be of a liberal 

 character, that it should include a language other than 

 English, that it should not have reference to a special 

 trade or industry, and that . the pupil should 

 not be required to signify his intention to 

 ; adopt a special branch of industry or com- 

 merce. The association, in a memorandum on 

 " Education after the War," recently issued, urges that 

 there should be a large increase in the number of 

 scholarships with adequate maintenance grants to 

 enable candidates to proceed to day technical colleges, 

 that the technical departments of universities and tech- 

 nical colleges should be encouraged to undertake re- 

 search in co-OF>eration with manufacturing firms, and, 

 having regard to the national importance of tech- 

 nical education, should bear a much larger proportion 

 of the cost, and that the Government grants in aid 

 of technical research should be largely increased. In 

 view of the difficulty many institutions have experi- 

 enced in obtaining necessary supplies, the Ministry of 

 Munitions has empowered the council of the associa- 

 tion to endorse applications to which priority will be 

 granted under the order of the hon. secretary. The 

 association extends its warm support to the proposals 



