510 
NAT GORE 
[JuLy 8, 1915 

British chemists have now a clearing house for 
their ideas and discoveries, whilst the Government 
knows that it has the expert chemical advice of the 
country at its immediate disposal. 
It is not going too far to say that practically 
without exception the services of the scientific 
laboratories of the universities, university colleges, 
and technical colleges have been offered to the 
Government. Very many—perhaps all—of these 
laboratories have done, and are doing, important 
public work relating to the war and the industries 
of the country. In this connection the Royal 
Society War Committee has done good work in 
organising special chemical work of an urgent 
character in the above-mentioned laboratories, and 
in obtaining from them competent young men to 
assist in the carrying on of the special chemical 
manufactures required at the present time. 
The Institute of Chemistry has done excellent 
Work in various directions. Particularly deserving 
of mention is the splendid public work done by 
the Glass Research Committee. The important 
scientific results obtained by this Committee have 
been made public (see Nature, April 15, p. 192), 
and are therefore at the disposal of every manu- 
facturer. 
There is not a scientific society, scientific labora- 
tory, or scientific man in the country that is not 
anxious and willing to help. Much good work has 
been already done. But there is undoubtedly a 
feeling that with better organisation and know- 
ledge a vastly greater amount could be done. 
Speaking in the House of Lords on Friday last, 
Viscount Bryce urged that— 
Every possible effort should be made to utilise the 
services of scientific men: . They all knew to how great 
an extent the German -Government had turned the 
services of scientific-men and establishments for in- 
vestigation and research to account for military pur- 
poses. We possessed in this country a body of scien- 
tific men not, indeed, so numerous, but fully equal in 
competence and fully equal, he need hardly say, in 
earnestness and zeal to serve their country. He 
understood that there had been during the past 
months a certain amount of regret among scientific 
men that they had not heard from the Government 
how they could help. Any efforts which the Govern- 
ment made to give them a chance of coming in, and 
enabling them to turn their scientific knowledge, 
whether in chemistry or engineering, to the common 
purpose we all had at heart would, he was certain, 
be welcomed by them. The universities, in which 
there were so many scientific men, would gladly drop 
all their work in order to assist 
It is to be hoped that these wise words will be 
taken well to heart. 
Science is standing Germany in good stead at 
present. It is known that the Badische Works, 
employing the process initiated by the scientific 
researches of Prof. Haber, had arranged for an 
enormous output of synthetic ammonia during the 
present year. About twelve years ago Prof. 
Ostwald, foreseeing (as he has himself publicly 
stated) a nitric acid famine in Germany during a 
period of war, investigated the conditions for the 
economical oxidation of ammonia to nitric acid. 
This process has been worked for several years at 
NO. 2384, VOL. 95| 


| John Murray, 1915.) Price 42s. net. 
a factory near Vilvorde in Belgium. It is 
rumoured that Prof. Haber and the Badische 
Works have greatly improved the process, and 
that in conjunction with the synthetic ammonia 
process it now provides a large part of the nitric 
acid required by Germany for the manufacture of 
her explosives. Ohne Phosphor kein Gedanke 
said the materialist once upon a time. So might 
he now say, “No nitric acid, no war.” Interesting 
notices have appeared from time to time in the 
Chemiker Zeitung relating to the activity of 
organised German science during the past twelve 
months. A new industry of zine extraction has 
been developed, and it is reported that means have 
been found to replace the French bauxite required 
for the production of aluminium. 
The shortage of copper has been discounted by 
the use of special alloys. It is also stated that 
processes have been developed for the manufacture 
of gasoline and lamp oil. Alcohol is being largely 
used in internal combustion engines. 
We may feel sure that not only the universities 
and technical high schools, but also the splendid 
special laboratories of the Kaiser Wilhelm 
Forschungsgesellschaft are working at high pres- 
sure in the service of.their State. 
It is necessary—urgently necessary—that we 
should do as much, if not more. Let Britain call, 
British science is ready. It is straining at the 
leash. All that 1s wanted on the part of our 
leaders are imagination and sympathy. A little 
more of these, and the good that has been done 
can be magnified a thousandfold. 
es Fk. G. Donnan. 

MAMMALS OF _ EASTERN EQUATORIAL 
AFRICA. 
R. ROOSEVELT’S: second book dealing 
with his East’ African experiences will 
probably be more valued by naturalists than his 
first, though some portions of it may leave the 
naturalist cold where they excite to frenzy the 
man of primitive instincts, who still thinks 
Cet animal est tres méchant, 
Quand on l’attaque il se défend. 
To the mammalogist Homo sapiens, even in his 
Caucasic variety and English or Anglo-American 
race, is not more interesting than Felis leo or 
Loxodon africanus; and he is just as shocked 
and pained at the death agonies of the latter as 
of the sportsman who fails to kill dead at the 
first shot and is afterwards eaten up or trampled 
under foot. In fact, I for one, when I read in 
a newspaper some ten years ago that a German 
hunter who had frequently evaded my inquiries in 
East Africa as to big-game regulations and had 
at Jast—thank goodness!—been killed by a 
rhinoceros after having needlessly slain about 
seventy-three rhinoceroses for no purpose what- 
ever but sheer love of killing, could not resist 
an expression of delight. 
1 “ Life-Histories of African Game Animals.” 
and E. Heller. i 
By Theodore Roosevelt 
Vol. i., pp. xxviiit+420. Vol. ii., pp. x+-421-798. (London = 
1 Two vols. 

