86 



NATURE 



[March 29, 1917 



culty a new tighting- force, selecting the officers 

 trom chemists already holding commissions and 

 transferring non-commissioned officers and men 

 with scientific qualifications from other units. 

 Their work did not call for much scientific 

 attainment, yet the force was for the most part 

 made up of graduates and qualified professional 

 chemists, a body of men far too valuable to the 

 country to risk in hazardous enterprise. How- 

 ever, they proved good soldiers and "carried out 

 their unfamiliar duties during a heavy bombard- 

 ment with conspicuous gallantry and coolness," 

 as reported by Lord PVench. 



Later, the force was augmented, and many of 

 the original corporals were promoted or, as the 

 demand for chemists became more pressing at 

 home, were withdrawn for work in Government 

 and controlled establishments. Chemists were 

 also promptly engaged on research for devising 

 methods of defence against poisonous gases, and 

 for inspection work in that connection. 



Apart from measures of offence and defence, 

 however, the work of chemists in the Royal 

 Engineers and in the sanitary companies of the 

 Royal Army Medical Corps engaged on active 

 service for the purification and examination 

 of water and for other sanitary matters,- has 

 doubtless contributed to the maintenance of 

 health in the armies on the Continent, in the East, 

 and in Africa, while we must not overlook the 

 fact that not a few of these chemists are also 

 first-class bacteriologists, and their work as such 

 has been indispensable. Mention must also be 

 made of the chemical advisers to the various 

 armies, inspectors of ordnance, instructors in gas 

 defence, chemists with the Army Service Corps 

 concerned with chemical supplies and those 

 attached to the Air Services. 



Many of these men have been promoted to high 

 rank, so that we find among them quite a number 

 of colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors. One 

 professional chemist who enlisted as a private 

 in the early months of the war has risen to the 

 rank of lieutenant-colonel through his scientific 

 and inventive ability. Comparatively few quali- 

 fied men who have seen active service have not 

 been afforded the opportunity of taking commis- 

 sions, and a remarkable number have won 

 honours in the field. 



We yet hope to see, however, due recognition 

 accorded others, less in the foreground, who have 

 given loyal service and have materially contributed 

 to the results achieved. We refer especially to 

 chemists working at home, including those in the 

 Civil Service and in Government and controlled 

 factories, the majority of whom we do not doubt 

 would willingly have volunteered for active service 

 had they been permitted to do so. Not a few 

 have worked throughout the war quite gratui- 

 tously, while some are in receipt of salaries out 

 of all proportion small in comparison with the 

 responsibility of the duties entrusted to them. 

 There are many chemists attached to different 

 departments of the Civil Service, but few are in 

 receipt of remuneration which would compare 

 favourably with that of men of similar qualifica- 

 NO. 2474, VOL. 99] 



tions and attainments engaged in private work or 

 in industry. . 



The terms and conditions of service offered to 

 qualified temporary assistants in the Inspection 

 Department at Woolwich were, we understand,, 

 improved towards the close of 1914, partly as 

 the result of the publicity given to the matter,, 

 but also owing to the dearth of candidates for the 

 appointments. Even though the remuneration of 

 3/. OS. 6d. a week was increased to 150/. a year, 

 and a miserable allowance (about 15. ^d. an hour) 

 made for overtime, in the prevailing circumstances 

 the position is distinctly unsatisfactory. If the 

 work is not of a responsible character, the authori- 

 ties need scarcely be so insistent on high qualifica- 

 tions. We cannot but conclude that such matters 

 have been too much in the control of the clerical 

 establishments, who are ignorant of the signifi- 

 cance of chemistry and its vital importance to the 

 interests of the country ; yet, perhaps, they are 

 not entirely to blame for the existence of a system 

 prevailing in several places under which, if insuffi- 

 cient financial provision is made for chemical 

 assistants, such men find themselves classified as 

 "foremen" or "draughtsmen," or that some sort 

 of shuffle has been made to bring them within the 

 funds allotted to the expenses of their department. 



It is greatly to be deplored that competent pro- 

 fessional men have not been graded and treated as 

 such, paid proper salaries, without talk of over- 

 time, and afforded more encouragement generally 

 in the service they render to the State. Now that 

 the Inspection Department is under the Ministry of 

 Munitions we look for a more enlightened apprecia- 

 tion of scientific work. The terms attaching to the 

 appointments of shift chemists in works controlled 

 by the Ministry when they were first decided on 

 were fairly satisfactory for younger men and 

 made allowance for increments up to a moderate 

 limit ; but these again call for revision under the 

 altered conditions of living to enable educated 

 •professional men to maintain their status and to- 

 lessen the sacrifice many of them have made. 



In other Government laboratories and chemical 

 establishments many assistants are continuing 

 their work under pre-war rates of pay, and 

 although there is a graded scale of war bonuses 

 we trust their case also will receive due considera- 

 tion. Throughout the war chemists hav« made 

 good wherever they have been in request, and we 

 repeat the time has come for a more substantial 

 acknowledgment of their services. 



We have already indicated that in industries the 

 demand for chemists is now in excess of the 

 supply, due not only to the fact that so many are 

 with the forces, but also to the growing apprecia- 

 tion of the value of their work and the develop- 

 ment of scientific methods of manufacture. The 

 shortage of qualified men has compelled employers 

 to offer better terms, and, as a consequence, a 

 considerable number of teachers have been 

 attracted to works appointments, and in the pro- 

 duction of munitions many are engaged as "shift 

 chemists " in charge of plant in factories where 

 scientific control is essential to the safety of the 

 employes. The colleges, at present, have fewer 



