July 7, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



13 



Be it resolved, That Congress be petitioned to 

 amend the existing three per cent, immigration act 

 by exempting from its provisions all bona fide 

 students. 



Be it further resolved, That in case such amend- 

 ment be not made effective before September 1, 

 1922, the government be petitioned to cause the 

 adoption by the Bureau of Immigration of such 

 administrative rulings as will preclude the possi- 

 bility of incoming students being sent to Ellis 

 Island or other detention stations. 



TEXTILE RESEARCH INSTITUTE^ 



In the hearings before the Senate committee 

 investigating dyes, the statement was made that 

 there remain to be invested in education and 

 research several hundred thousand dollars rep- 

 resenting the profits of the Textile Alliance, 

 in accordance with the original understanding 

 with the State Department. 



We urge that this fund be devoted to the es- 

 tablishment of an American Textile Research 

 Institute. Notwithstanding the work of govern- 

 ment bureaus, private corporations, and textile 

 schools, there are concerted efforts abroad which 

 surpass anything we have to oifer. As an in- 

 dustry, textile manufacturers have not yet been 

 convinced that they can conduct research as an 

 association enterprise. We believe that unless 

 the present opportunity is utilized it may be 

 many years before adequate work will be sup- 

 ported here. 



A simple effective plan can be devised. Cot- 

 ton, wool, linen and silk should be represented 

 in the institute. There are strong trade associa- 

 tions representing these fibers. There is a 

 splendid association of finishers, and still other 

 groups of spinners, dyers, dry cleaners, laundi'y- 

 men, and other crafts directly concerned with 

 textiles. Prom these groups a strong advisory 

 committee can be formed and by utilizing the 

 income from the fund to be available a deal of 

 important work can be carried on in existing 

 laboratories throughout the country. The ini- 

 tial staff of tl!8 institute could consist of a di- 

 rector with proper assistants, and if desirable 

 an early activity could be the establishment of 

 informational service and a statistical bureau 



1 From the Journal of Industrial and Engineer- 

 ing Chemistry. 



and a proper medium for broadcasting new in- 

 formation. 



To divide the capital sum among those now 

 interested in textile research seems to us un- 

 wise, for provision should be made for study of 

 new problems as they may arise in whatever 

 laboratory may be best fitted for the investiga- 

 tion. By keeping the present sum as a fund 

 other money is sure to be attracted, and there 

 would be available annually a sum which under 

 wise administration would eventually bring to 

 the laboratories far greater support. 



Plans should be perfected, and it is our hope 

 that the committee appointed by the Textile 

 Alliance to consider and recommend methods 

 for the employment of the money in hand may 

 decide upon some such program as we have 

 here suggested. 



THE CHEMICAL FOUNDATION 



President Harding on July 1 addressed the 

 following letter to Colonel Thomas W. Miller, 

 the alien property custodian : 



My attention has been called b}' the Department 

 of Justice to the fact that a corporation known 

 as the Chemical Foundation has brought suit 

 against the treasurer of the United States and 

 certain licensees of the Federal Trade Commission 

 for an accounting alleged to be due the said 

 Chemical Foundation on royalties due it for the 

 use of certain patents originally seized under the 

 authority of the alien property custodian and sold 

 to the Chemical Foundation by the custodian 

 during the previous administration. On the face 

 of such an action it became so apparent to me that 

 an inquiry should be made that I asked for a 

 report by the Department of Justice on the sale 

 of this enemy property to the. Chemical Founda- 

 tion. It appears that the sale was made at so 

 nearly a nominal sum that there is reason to be- 

 lieve that this government has not faithfully ob- 

 served the trust which was implied in the seizvire 

 of this property. The circumstances relating to 

 the entire transaction are of such a character that 

 full investigation becomes a public duty. More- 

 over, I feel that your office is obligated to main- 

 tain the sacred character of the trust to which 

 the alien property custodian is committed by the 

 law. 



You are therefore directed to forthwith proceed 

 as follows : 



1. Make written demand upon the Chemical 



