January 1.3, 19 10] 



NA TURE 





in this account of a man who possessed a personality 

 of rare charm, and, without any commanding 

 intellectual equipment, lived a life of high accom- 

 plisliment. 



E. H. H. 



TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCE IN GERMANY. 



WHAT are the chief causes to which the remark- 

 able industrial progress made by Germany in 

 recent years is attributable? This is the question M. 

 E. Leduc sets himself to answer in a paper '■ which, 

 though written primarily for his compatriots, is also 

 of much interest to others. 



On the morrow of Jena the outlook in Prussia was 

 sorry indeed. The country was poor, the population 

 sparse ; there were no manufactures, and not much 

 commerce. Few roads, and those bad ; an ill- 

 equipped postal service ; little money, and the king- 

 dom ringed around with tax-offices : such is the 

 picture drawn of the land which lay there bleeding 

 after Napoleoij's victory in 1806. Yet now, little 

 more than a century after, the vanquished of Jena 

 have not only ousted their conquerors from the posi- 

 tion of military predominance, but are steadily forcing 

 them, and others, from their coigns of vantage on 

 the fields of industry and commerce. 



iM. Leduc first outlines the earlier steps which led 

 to this industrial advance — the revival of national 

 sentiment, the removal of class barriers and other 

 mediaeval restrictions upon freedom — and then deals 

 at length with the two causes which he holds to 

 be the principal factors in the great modern e.\pan- 

 sion of German commerce, namel)', education and 

 cooperation. 



By "education" here is meant education in applied 

 science. First, as regards the teacher ; the ideal is 

 a man possessing a thorough knowledge of his sub- 

 ject, a teaching aptitude, and a certain quality of 

 industrial practicality. This last is the touchstone. 

 In technological training the aim should be to impart 

 the scientific spirit rather than to let the student 

 lose himself in "pure" science. Otherwise his intel- 

 lect is apt to become somewhat mummified; and 

 so far as industrial fertility is concerned he 

 presently, college days being over, comes to 

 resemble the fig-tree of scripture, which bore nothing 

 but leaves. 



This leaven of practicality is traceable in all the 

 German technical science training. The professors at 

 Charlottenbyrg are not merely college dons ; some, for 

 example, are chiefs of factories, others are the pro- 

 prietors of commercial laboratories. The students in 

 the technical institutes brew beer, distil spirits, and 

 bake bread, all on a manufacturing scale, and all for 

 sale in the ordinarv way of trade. 



From the description given it appears that the 

 German instruction in technological science may be 

 broadly classified into four divisions. First, there is 

 the comprehensive training which is to turn out the 

 future captains and leaders of industry. Next, pro- 

 vision is made for putting trustworthy information 

 on technological matters at the disposal of the trad- 

 ing community. Thirdly, central institutions are 

 established where certain industries — e.g. brewing, 

 sugar-production — are studied scientificallv and prac- 

 tically. Fourthly, there are local technical schools 

 adapted to the special needs of particular localities. 



Under the first category comes the famous High 

 School of Technology at Charlottenburg. Here a 



1 " L'Orpranisation syndicate et technique en Allemagne." By M. E. 

 Leduc. (Bulletin de la Soci^E6 d'Encouragement pour I'lndustrie nationate, 

 Octobre, 1909.)' 



NO. 2098, VOL. 82] 



complete course of instruction in any of the leading 

 branches of technology is obtainable. The scale upon 

 which the institution is equipped may be best shown, 

 perhaps, bv the following summary of the professorial 

 staff :— 



Sectio Prof, ssors Privats-docent 



Architecture ... „ 21 12 



Civil Engineering 13 8 



Mechanical Engineeiirg 20 14 



Maiitinie Engineering and Naval 



Construction 6 i 



Chemistry and Metallurgy 15 20 



Mathematics and Natural Science... iS 15 



Foreign Languages 4 — ■ 



97 70 



In M. Leduc's opinion, specialisation and the more 

 definitely practical character of the instruction are the 

 points on which the German system show^ itself 

 superior to the French. It was all very well a century 

 ago to say "Technical science is one subject; every 

 manufacturer must know it in all its branches or be 

 dubbed incompetent " ; but this, like other formulas, 

 has become antiquated, and the world has outgrown 

 it. 



Supplementing the tuition in technological science 

 indicated above comes the work of the laboratory at 

 Gross-Lichterfeld. This is a large establishment, 

 covering an area of 10,360 square metres. Its duties 

 are (a) to carry out researches, and to make examina- 

 tions and analyses of materials ' both for public 

 departments and for the 'trading community, 

 issuing . certificates and valuations based upon 

 the results obtained ; and (b) to arbitrate, on 

 request ^of both parties, in matters of liti- 

 gation concerning the composition and properties 

 of commercial products. In addition, practical in- 

 struction in the testing of materials is given to certain 

 students from Charlottenburg ; and, as far as circum- 

 stances permit, assistance is rendered to persons pur- 

 suing special researches. Fixed fees are payable for 

 the services of the laboratory ; and the certificates 

 issued are commonly used in commercial transactions 

 as proof of the composition and properties of the 

 articles described upon them. There are six sections, 

 dealing respectively with metals, building materials, 

 paper and textile fabrics, oils, general analytical 

 chemistry, and metallography. 



In the third class come the special institutes devoted 

 to various agricultural industries ; for example, sugar 

 production, brewing, distilling, milling, and baking. 

 Each of these has its institute, splendidly — nay, 

 lavishly — equipped, not only for the training of 

 students, but for research into any special problem 

 of the industry. One feels, says M. Leduc, speaking 

 of the sugar institute, that money without stint has 

 been given to assemble here everything required for 

 the study of beet-sugar production, and everything 

 is the most perfect of its kind. 



Now, in its origin and development this industi^y is 

 notably a French one, yet Germany has outstripped 

 France in its exploitation, and produces nearly three 

 times as much sugar. Why? Because in Germany 

 the production is organised and unified. " Germany 

 is the land of cartels; jealousy of one's neighbour 

 is unknown. The sugar factories all accept one and 

 the same guidance, namely, that given them by the 

 Institute at Berlin, which is richly endowed by the 

 manufacturers. Prof. Herzfeld, to whom neither 

 money nor help is begrudged, studies for all, and 

 everybody profits thereby." 



Similarly in the milling and baking industry. 



