62 SCIENCE AND THE STATE 



search is not treated as anyone's business in life, but 

 as a thing- to be pursued as a hobby in odd moments 

 between the various and manifold duties of a pro- 

 fessor and his staff, and in vacations. 



But teaching research that is again a serious 

 business. It would be a thousand pities if some 

 potential genius, for lack of research scholarships 

 and fellowships, was lost to this country. Everyone 

 must have at least a chance of proving their capacity 

 for research. Most excellent. But what I want to 

 know is why trouble if, as soon as that capacity is 

 proved, the possessor is to be put in a position where 

 it will never again be possible for him to devote 

 himself to research as a business, but merely as a 

 recreation in the interval of teaching! Before the 

 war, at least, these research scholarships and 

 fellowships were a veritable cul-de-sac to the many, 

 through the general apathy and neglect of science 

 by which this country is distinguished. There 

 literally were not teaching posts, let alone research 

 posts, open for more than a very few of the successful. 

 Too many found themselves stranded without any 

 opening whatever, whereas if they had eschewed 

 research and devoted themselves to any ordinary 

 profession, a very much lower scale of capacity 

 would have ensured them an ample and expanding 

 livelihood. 



Extravagant comparisons have been appearing 

 in the press lately between the Scottish and the 

 English educational systems, in favour of the former. 

 But if this is justifiable at all, it can only be with 

 regard to one side of the question the education of 

 the general masses of the population, and that, 

 admittedly, refers to a past generation rather than 

 to-day. In regard to this equally important question 

 of scientific research and investigation, Scotland is as 

 far behind England as England is behind the rest of 



