J 74 



NATURE 



[April 8, 1920 



find themselves seriously handicapped in their 

 endeavours to fulfil the functions assigned to 

 them. In the case of such educational institutions 

 as the schools and colleges maintained wholly, 

 or almost wholly, from rates and taxes, the solu- 

 tion is less difficult, and may be found in an 

 increased education rate combined with an 

 increased Government grant. For the universities 

 which have to depend largely upon fees and endow- 

 ment, and can rely only partly on Government 

 grants, the difficulties created are very serious. 

 It should, however, be borne in mind that money 

 expended on education is one of the most pro- 

 ductive forms of national expenditure, and, what- 

 ever may be the dangers of the inflation of indus- 

 trial capital, the nation is not yet within remote 

 danger of educational inflation. Rather is it 

 suffering grievous detriment from the semi-starva- 

 tion of its higher educational institutions. 



Among the higher educational institutions which 

 are in need of financial help, the Imperial College 

 of Science and Technology holds a prominent 

 place, and an appeal issued some months ago by 

 the governing body makes clear the magnitude 

 and urgency of this want. The Imperial College 

 of Science and Technology was incorporated 

 under Royal Charter in July, 1907, and was 

 established "to give the highest specialised instruc- 

 tion and to provide the fullest equipment for the 

 most advanced training and research in various 

 branches of science, especially in its application 

 to industry." The governing body was also 

 required to carry on the work of the Royal 

 College of Science, the Royal School of Mines, 

 and the City and Guilds (Engineering) College, 

 institutions previously existing, but which in 1907 

 became associated as integral parts of the new 

 institution. 



The Imperial College is thus an association or 

 federation of colleges, deliberately charged by the 

 terms of its charter to afford facilities for the 

 highest work in pure and applied science, espe- 

 cially in its application to industry. As an indica- 

 tion of the magnitude of its work, it may be 

 noted that in the year 1907-8 there were 665 

 students, including 20 engaged on post- 

 graduate work, and the annual expenditure on 

 maintenance approximated to 50,000/. In the 

 year 191 3-1 4 — the year before the war — the 

 number of students was 943, including 185 

 engaged on post-graduate work, and the annual 

 expenditure on maintenance approximated to 

 90,oooZ. During the war the numbers of 

 students were reduced by about two-thirds, but in 

 May last year there were 841, including no post- 

 graduates, and as the numbers are rapidly increas- 

 ing there is every indication that the college will 

 soon be busier than ever before. On the basis 

 only of the pre-war annual expenditure, the 

 Imperial College is as large as Manchester Uni- 

 versity, larger than Liverpool University, and 

 twice as large as Bristol University. Its rank in 

 science and technology, whether viewed from the 

 range and standard of its teaching and research, 

 NO. 2632, VOL. 105] 



or from its equipment, is at least as high as that 

 of any existing university in Great Britain. 



In order that the college may rise to the height [j 

 of its responsibilities and fulfil the functions 

 assigned to it by its charter, the governing body 

 estimates that for new buildings and equipment 

 at least 6oo,oooI. is required, and for the adequate 

 development of the work of the college a further 

 annual income approximating to ioo,oooi. The 

 capitalised value of the total additional require- 

 ment has been put in round figures at more than 

 2,ooo,oooZ. It is large, but much less than the 

 amount required for a modern battleship, and is 

 not incommensurate with the importance to the 

 nation and the Empire of the work which the 

 college has to do. 



From a quarter to one-fifth of the total number 

 of students are carrying on original investigations 

 under the direction of their respective professors, 

 and this, together with the research work of the 

 staff, results in considerable additions to know- 

 ledge annually. The investigations range over a 

 wide area of science, especially in its application 

 to industry. The contributions thus made to 

 increased industrial efficiency are no mean factor 

 in the national development and prosperity. At 

 the same time, in the course of these investigations 

 the relevant researches in pure science are not 

 neglected, and thus much is done continually to 

 widen the bounds of knowledge as knowledge. 



The teaching work carried on in the college 

 may be divided into (a) associateship and (b) post- 

 associateship. The former consists of courses, 

 approximately of honours graduate standard, lead- 

 ing respectively to associateships of the Royal 

 College of Science (A.R.C.S.), the Royal School 

 of Mines (A.R.S.M.), and the City and Guilds 

 Institute (A. C.G.I. ); and the latter of courses of 

 study and of research, comparable in standard 

 with M.Sc. and D.Sc. work, leading to the 

 diploma of membership of the Imperial College 

 (D.I.C.). 



Styled " Imperial " from the first, the college has 

 constantly to bear in mind the growing industrial 

 needs not only of the Kingdom, but also of the 

 Empire, and to do this it must possess a flexi- 

 bility and an adaptability suitable to the ever- 

 changing conditions of industry. To take one 

 example, the war disclosed, as in a flash, the peril- 

 ous condition of the optical glass and optical 

 instrument industry in this country through the 

 dependence for many years on foreign supplies, 

 particularly from Germany. A new department of 

 technical optics has been established by the 

 governors of the Imperial College, which, by 

 research, by the supply of trained technologists in 

 this field, and by the education of the users of 

 optical instruments, must go far to second the 

 efforts of the manufacturers to build up and 

 stabilise this important and essential national 

 industry. At no time was the need for an 

 intensive and extensive development of science, 

 both pure and applied, more needed than at the 

 present time of national reconstruction after five 



