AucGusT 26, 1915 | 

Society in London publishes reports from most of the 
observatories in the Empire; the Astronomische Gesell- 
schaft does the same for all the German, many Con- 
tinental, and a few American observatories; the 
French Government publishes the annual reports of 
all French observatories. Other observatories furnish 
annual reports to their own Governments or controlling 
bodies, and some of these are printed and circulated. 
Still other observatories, and these in no small num- 
ber, publish no reports. The change I advocate is a 
very small one; it is that every observatory should 
furnish an annual report to its authority, and that 
these authorities should transmit the reports to an 
international association of astronomers, for comment 
and return. The report should be divided into sections 
somewhat as follows :—(1) Working staff of observing 
astronomers, non-observing astronomers, comprising 
computors and ordinary assistants; (2) detailed list of 
instruments which cost more than 25o0l. apiece; (3) 
how many observers have permanent quarters in the 
grounds? how many non-observers have ditto?; (4) 
efficiency of those instruments in past years in per- 
centage of hours available for work; (5) observations 
secured in past year; (6) observations published, being 
prepared for publication, etc. ; (7) unpublished observa- 
tions made in previous years—reason for non-publica- 
tion; (8) projected lines of work; (9) general notes 
and explanations. ; 
All these reports should be examined and analysed 
by a committee of the international association and 
then published. The committee would then make its 
suggestions to the controlling bodies, leaving these to 
act on them or not. In this way the careful minister 
or even the conscientious member of Parliament could 
find out the opinions which an expert body holds 
concerning the institution for which he is asked to 
vote money. The advisory body could suggest to those 
astronomers who have sufficient equipment, but make 
no use of it, useful lines of research. The ardent 
astronomer who cannot persuade his Government to 
provide funds would find himself in a stronger position 
when he has behind him an international body. The 
lethargic astronomer would find that his colleagues 
elsewhere look to him to do his share. Better than 
all, it might be possible to arrange that research 
students could visit and work at observatories the 
equipment of which is not in full use. It would be 
invidious to give examples of observatories not work- 
ing up to their potentialities—few can—but several 
make no attempt at any work, and have become little 
better than sinecures*—it must suffice to say that at 
least two of the observatories possessing exceptionally 
large refracting telescopes have not contributed one 
month’s work from them in the last twenty years— 
their expensive equipment is idle and slowly de- 
teriorating—the output from many others is disappoint- 
ingly small. If some international association had 
the power to recommend that these great telescopes 
were put into commission, or, better still, to assign 
research students to their use, it would be a good 
thing. 
In ancient days princes and men of wealth founded 
religious institutions called abbeys and monasteries. 
They did so because they considered they were helping 
the cause of humanity—and for centuries these bodies 
did respond to a real need—but the need passed, and 
only effete institutions remained—ultimately to be 
swept away—and to-day princes and men of wealth 
do not found abbeys. In modern times—the most 
ancient observatory is not old—princes and men of 
wealth found observatories because they consider they 
are helping the cause of humanity. It is unnecessary 
6 They may provide a time or meteorological service of some local import- 
ance, but as institutions for research work of any kind their efforts are 
negligibly small. At least 33 per cent. of the observatories listed in the 
Nautical Almanac publish nothing. 
NO. 2391, VOL. 95] 
NATURE 


719 

to push the analogy. The ardent astronomer will not 
permit it to be pushed too far; he will organise with 
his colleagues for the advancement of his science, and 
the consequent enlargement of man’s intellectual 
horizon. 
I have only dealt with the organisation of a branch 
of science somewhat widely detached from the current 
activities of the world. It would have been too 
ambitious to sketch the organisation of a State or 
of humanity at large. But such organisation must 
come. The war every day is showing us how neces- 
sary it is to organise for production—even if only in 
the munitions of war—and not for profit. We are 
living in dangerous times, times in which it behoves 
the man of science, who is actuated by no selfish 
interests, to exert his power in remoulding the new 
society when the time, now near at hand, comes. 
The notable discussion in the House of Commons 
on May 13 last (reprinted in Nature of May 20) on the 
motion of the Government to form an Advisory 
Council on Industrial Research, sets an example, 
which is sure to be followed by other British communi- 
ties. All the debaters spoke of the extraordinary 
example of Germany rising to great material power 
through the spread of technical education and scientific 
research. No country can afford, or would be justified, 
in lagging behind, but a more ethical objective should 
be the ideal. 
In South Africa several problems have suggested 
themselves, but the experimental work would be very 
costly, and might, after all, be insufficient, so that 
their solutions do not appeal to private enterprise. 
The local production of liquid fuel is one of these 
problems. Liquid fuel can be made both from low- 
grade coals and from agricultural produce, and it is 
within the range of probability that what to-day are 
considered noxious weeds, such as the prickly pear, 
might have an economic value in the production of 
alcohol. Again, the extraordinarily favourable dura- 
tion of sunshine in the Union invites the trial of sun- 
power boilers, especially for pumping. A census of 
the water power “white coal’’ is also desirable, be- 
cause if we have no great falls of water excepting the 
Victoria Falls, we must remember that our high veld 
rivers have a descent of 6000 ft. to sea-level, some of 
which is probably economically available. 
If science is co-ordinated knowledge, what is the 
man of science? The true type is a man of faith, 
believing in the power of co-ordinated knowledge to 
make the world a purer and a better one. If the object 
of science was only the material conquest of nature it 
would be unworthy, and sooner or later it would be 
rejected by mankind. The faith of the man of science 
is unlimited—he might declare his creed in words 
somewhat as follows” :— 
“T believe in the ultimate distinction between Good 
and Evil, and in a real Process in a real Time. I 
believe that it is my duty to increase Good and to 
diminish Evil. I believe in doing so I am serving 
the purpose of the World. This I know and I do not 
know anything else; I will not put questions to which 
I have no answer, and to which I believe no one has 
an answer. Organic Action is my creed, Abstract 
speculation weakens Action. I do not wish to specu- 
late; I wish to act; I wish to live.” 
Or, he says, using the words of Bacon :— 
“The knowledge of Truth, which is the Presence of 
it; and the Beleefe of Truth, which the Enioying of 
it; is the Soveraigne Good.of Humane Nature. The 
first Creature of God, in the workes of the Dayes, 
was the Light of the Sense; The last, was the Light 
of Reason; And His Sabbath Worke, ever since, is the 
Illumination of His Spirit.” 
7 Adart:d from “‘ Appearances,’’ by G. Lowes Dickinson (1914). 
