2l8 



NATURE 



[May 15, 1919 



Taking into consideration, 'howev€ar, the vast benefits 

 accruing to the world from the genius of James Watt, 

 we may hope that the endowment will be a liberal 

 one, so that the full services of the best possible men 

 may be secured. If a considerable sum could also be 

 allotted as an endowment for the department over 

 which the professor would preside, and a further 

 amount to provide valuable research scholarships for 

 promising students from any part of the Empire, a 

 memorial worthy of the subject might be established. 

 For example, the appointment of a professor, for ten 

 years at a time, with a salary of 5000^. per annum, 

 with a like sum towards the upkeep of the department, 

 and, in addition, the provision of ten scholarships each 

 of 500Z. per annum tenable for two years, might cost 

 300,000/., but the money would be profitably invested. 

 The evacuation of the University buildings by the 

 military hospital authorities is proceeding rapidly, and 

 it is hoped that the departments of physics and 

 chemistry at least may be reinstated in their proper 

 quarters by October next. The appointments of the 

 new professors of physics and chemistry (Prof. S. W. J. 

 Smith and Prof. G. T. Morgan) have accordingly been 

 made as from July i in order that they may supervise 

 the restoration of their respective departments. 



Cambridge. — A gift of 2io,oooZ. to the University 

 for a chemical school was announced bv the Vice- 

 Chancellor, Dr. A. E. Shipley, at the meeting of the 

 Senate on May 13. Particulars were given in the 

 following extracts from a letter from Mr. R. Waley 

 Cohen: — "It has been an immense pleasure to me 

 to be able to write to Sir William Pope and tell him 

 that the British oil companies have agreed to join 

 together in a scheme for endowing a chemical school 

 at Cambridge. The Burma Oil Co. have agreed to 

 contribute, 5o,oooL ; the Anglo-Persian Oil Co., 

 50,oooL ; the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co., 50,000/. ; 

 and Lord Cowdray and the Hon. Clive Pearson 

 between them 50,000/., making the total of 200,000/. 

 which is required. Mr. Deterding, who has taken 

 very great interest in the scheme from the beginning, 

 has offered to make the 200,000/. into guineas bv 

 adding a personal contribution of his own of io,oooZ." 



London. — The annual report of the Vice-Chancellor 

 of the University (Sir Cooper Perry), which was 

 read at the presentation dav ceremonv in the 

 Albert Hall on May 9, was naturally written in a 

 more cheerful strain than previous reports during the 

 war. Cedant arma togae — at last the University is 

 able to turn from the works of war, to which the 

 Vice-Chancellor was able to refer with just pride, both 

 in the fields of battle and of science applied to warfare, 

 to a conflict in which " the weapons are no longer 

 ' reeking tube and iron shard,' but the highest quali- 

 ties of insight and spiritual temper." The list of 

 gifts and benefactions during the past year indicates 

 the wide appeal of the University, Including generous 

 provision for the teaching of aviation, modern Greek, 

 Portuguese (in all of which new chairs have been 

 established), and a German field-gun given by the 

 War Office in recognition of the work of the Officers 

 Training Corps during the war. Progress has been 

 made with the scheme for degrees in commerce, and 

 ■ an Institute of phonetics is to be established at Uni- 

 versity College. 



Oxford. — ^At a prolonged sitting of Congregation, 

 held on May 6, various amendments to the statute 

 which aims, amongst other objects, at making Greek 

 optional Instead of compulsory in Responsions were 

 taken into consideration. Most of the amendments 

 would have had the effect of limiting somewhat the 

 Hioice <if subjects, but all were rejected except one, 



NO. 2585, VOL. 103] 



which malies it possible to c«nit all the subjects of 

 "Group II." (English, French, and German), and 

 another concerning the fee for entrance to the 

 examination. The statute as amended will have to 

 come before a further meeting of Congregation, and 

 if passed by that body, to be submitted to Convoca- 

 tion, where the final decision will be taken. 



Mk. G. R. Bennett Has been appointed principal 

 of the Technical Institute, Newport, Mon. 



Mr. Andrew W. Young has been appointed to the 

 post of lecturer on pure and applied mathematics at 

 the Sir John Cass Technical Institute, Jewry Street, 

 AJdgate, E.C.3. 



Prof. C. R. M.'VRSHall, professor of materia medica ' 

 and therapeutics. University of St. Andrews, has been 

 appointed to the Regius chair of materia medica in the 

 University of Aberdeen, vacant by the resignation of 

 Prof. Theodore Cash. 



Applications are Invited for the following awards 

 In connection with the Armstrong College, Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne :^ — ^The Earl Grey memorial fellowship, 

 Value 300/.; the Royal (1851) Exhibition scholarship, 

 value 200/.; and Industrial bursaries, each of the' 

 value of 150/. The names of candidates must reach 

 the secretary of the college by, at latest. May 31. 



The Higher Education Sub-Committee of the 

 London County Council has had under consideration 

 the report of the Government Committee appointed 

 to inquire Into the position of natural science in the 

 educational system of Great Britain. In view of the 

 Importance of the subject, and of the value of the 

 report, it is desirable that the conclusions and recom- 

 mendations should receive the fullest consideration 

 and discussion ^mong those concerned in the teaching 

 of natural science. Tlie sub-committee has therefore 

 arranged a meeting at County Hall, Spring Gardens, 

 at four o'clock on Friday afternoon. May 30, to which 

 the principals of the schools of the University, head- 

 masters and headmistresses of secondary and central 

 schools, principals of polytechnics and technical insti- 

 tutes, and science teachers of these colleges and schools 

 have been invited. Sir J. J. Thomson, chairman of 

 the Government Committee, has consented to address 

 the meeting, and Sir Cyril Cobb, chairman of the 

 Education ComiTiIttee of the London County Council, 

 will take the chair. 



Announcement is made In the Times that the 

 Government proposes (if Parliament agrees) to expend 

 during the next five years about 2,000,000/. on agri- 

 cultural research and agricultural education. Sub- 

 stantial scholarships will be offered to men who have 

 distinguished themselves in the natural sciences at the 

 universities, and a certain number will be selected for 

 employment in universities and other institutions. 

 Research is already carried on at Cambridge, Rotham- 

 sted, Bristol, and Reading; but whereas at present 

 there are probably not more than forty men in Eng- 

 land and Wales engaged on pure research in agricul- 

 tural science, it is hoped that during the next decade 

 or so the number may be raised to about 150. Another 

 feature will be the encouragement of higher agricul- 

 tural education In colleges by means of grants and in 

 other ways. There are about a dozen agricultural 

 coHeges In England and Wales, and it is hoped to 

 bring the faYmer into more sympathetic touch with 

 them by the creation of more demonstration farms 

 and of a keener sense of the genera! value of science 

 in agriculture. 



