266 



NATURE 



[November 6, 1919 



was rejected by the Senate, amid scenes of enthusiasm 

 and disorder, by a majority of 1707 to 66'. _ 



In May 1919, the council reported the receipt of 

 two memorials relating to the same subject, and pro- 

 posed the appointment of a syndicate to consider it. 

 The first memorial stated:— "We believe that the 

 time has passed for the adoption of half -measures, 

 and that women should be admitted to full member- 

 ship of the University." In the second objection 

 was taken to the " attempt to force a hasty con- 

 elusion on a prejudged issue," and the suggestion 

 made that a solution might be found by allowing 

 women to obtain degrees without becoming full 

 members of the University. This suggestion— which 

 is made now bv those who in 1897 opposed the 

 granting of degrees to women at all— is practically 

 the same as that which was rejected by a large 

 maiority then, and illustrates how far the attitude 

 towards women has changed in twenty-two years. 

 There are few now who would dare openly to advo- 

 cate the exclusion of women from the recognition 

 rightly due to their study and their services to 



learning. .. . ^1. u 



On Thursdav, October -^o, a discussion on the sub- 

 ject was held in the Senate House. It is clear that 

 a large progressive bodv of opinion is in favour of 

 removing all restrictions on the studies of women and 

 on their just recognition bv the University. It_ is 

 also clear, however, that there is still an underlying 

 opposition to the idea of a mixed university, which 

 will manifest itself in oroposals designed to shelve 

 the question temoorarilv bv the adoption of half- 

 measures. There can be little doubt that in the end 

 all restrictions will be removed; and there are many 

 who believe that it will be wiser and more generous 

 for the Universitv now to allow women the full 

 membership thev demand than to have the change 

 forced upon it bv outside influence, e.g. through the 

 coming Royal Commission. 



Announcement of the approaching fiftieth anniver- 

 sary of the foundation of Nature was made m a 

 letter sent a few weeks ago to the presidents of_ a 

 number of scientific societies, official heads of British 

 universities, and other representatives of progressive 

 knowledge, most of whom are among the contributors 

 to the columns of this journal. The result of this 

 communication has been that we have received 

 numerous cordial messages of congratulation, manv 

 of them containing interesting reminiscences msso- 

 ciated with Nature, and all most appreciative of the 

 services it affords to scientific workers. It was hoped 

 that space could have been found to publish _ these 

 messages this week, but this has proved impracticable. 

 We believe, however, that these testimonies to the 

 close attention paid to the contents of Nature will 

 interest a wide scientific public, and therefore propose 

 to place a selection from them before our readers in 

 next week's issue. 



The general arrangement of Notes in these columns 

 follows the principle of from man to machine; early 

 paragraphs are concerned with current topics and 

 events, and these are followed successively by Note? 

 on subjects relating to biological, physical, and en- 

 gineering sciences. The articles on scientific progres? 

 which we have been fortunate enough to secure for 

 this issue are arranged in much the same order, so 

 that each has a relationship to the contributions which 

 precede and follow it. In addition to the descriptive 

 articles concerned with different fields of _ scientific 

 activitv, short accounts are given of a few important 

 British institutions established for research purposes 



NO. 2610, VOL. IO4I 



since Nature was first published. These articl^ will, 

 we think, serve to increase the value of this jubilee 

 number as an epitome of outstanding developments of 

 scientific work during the past fifty years. 



On Wednesday, October 29, Mr. Balfour was in- 

 augurated Chancellor of Cambridge University. In 

 a letter to the Vice-Chancellor dated October 25 he 

 had written : — " In so far as lifelong devotion to the 

 University, unceasing interest in its welfare, and 

 pride in its great services to learning be sufticient 

 qualifications for that high post, I am not unfitted to 

 fill it." His election was unopposed. In prese.nting 

 the Letters Patent the Vice-Chancellor dwelt upon 

 the needs of the Universitv and upon the possibility 

 of utilising the learning available in the University 

 more fully in the service of the Empire. The new 

 Chancellor agreed that it is the business of the com- 

 munity to make easier the path of those who have 

 shown what the sound learning and scientific training 

 of a university can do for a 'national cause, but at 

 the same time he felt that, in the main, Cambridge 

 would have to trust, and could well trust, its ■ own 

 powers in the coming arduous days of peace. In all 

 departments of national activity, but especially in the 

 scientific study of the mechanical, economic, chemical, 

 medical, or p'hvsical problems of the last five years, 

 our universities— and not least Cambridge— have 

 earned a position in the national estimation which 

 they have never held before. This position carries 

 great opportunities and great obligations with it. 

 The interest of the next few years and their influence 

 on the future historv of education and human know- 

 ledge are immense." There will undoubtedly be a 

 strong tendency towards the adoption of a_ more 

 technical education and towards the teaching of 

 "practical" subjects in a university course; tins 

 tendency cannot, and must not, be opposed, but at 

 the sanie time it is most earnestly to be desired that 

 our universities should keeo before the eyes of heir 

 students the three chief motives for the acquisition 

 and improvement of knowledge : a pleasure in know- 

 ledge for its own sake, a sure faith that no attenrit 

 to acquire and improve knowledge is vain, and a 

 reasoned belief in the power of knowledge to help and 

 elevate mankind. . Cambridge has chosen wisely m 

 electing a Chancellor in whom these motives are so 

 strong^ and who possesses in a high degree the power 

 and opportunity of keeping them before the eyes of 

 the best of his countrymen. 



Memorial tablets to Lord Lister to be erected at 

 University College, London, will be unveiled on 

 Tuesday, November 11, bv Sir George Makins, presi- 

 dent of the Roval College of Surgeons, and Sir J. T. 

 Thomson president of the Roval Society. The Duke 

 of Bedford, president of the Lister Memorial Com- 

 mittee, will preside. 



The Very Rev. W. R. Inge, Dean of St. Paul's, 

 has been appointed Romanes lecturer for 1920 at the 

 University of Oxford. The date and subject of his 

 lecture will be announced later. The late Camden 

 professor of ancient historv, Mr. F. J. Haverfield, 

 has bequeathed the residue of his estate, subject to 

 certain charges, in trust to the University for _ the 

 advancement of the study of Romano-Bntish 

 antiquities. 



Mr. W. R. Cooper has just retired from the edi- 

 torial chair of the Electricinn, having decided to devote 

 the whole of his time to his consulting practice. He 

 was appointed editor of our contemporary in 1906, 

 and under his editorship the journal has represented 

 electrical science at its best, as well as progressive 

 practice. He will be succeeded bv Mr. F. H. Masters. 



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