SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1279 



sources. It can not impair, but may enhance, 

 the value of zoological study or scientific re- 

 search to have it deal with subjects that may 

 have a direct practical value in commerce, 

 industry, legislation or administration. 



In the readjustment of national and inter- 

 national relations growing out of the Great 

 War, the aquatic resources of the world are 

 certain to assimie a more prominent place 

 than ever before. It appears to me that for 

 Americans one of the real compensations of 

 the war is going to be an increased apprecia- 

 tion of and dependence on aquatic foods, many 

 of them hitherto neglected or spurned because 

 of our ignorance, prejudice or wasteful habits. 

 This new attitude, evidence of which already 

 exists, if properly encouraged and directed, 

 can become an important factor in our na- 

 tional life. Among the questions that arise 

 are: How can our matchless water resources 

 best be adapted to the coimtry's and the 

 world's needs? How shall they be most ade- 

 quately utilized and at the same time pre- 

 served from dissipation, or, in other words, 

 what steps should be taken by the federal 

 government, in coojaeration with the state gov- 

 ernments, to secure maximum production con- 

 sistent with an imimpaired source of supply? 



The Bureau of Fisheries will need all pos- 

 sible outside assistance in meeting increased 

 duties and responsibilities that have already 

 begun to devolve upon it; and there will be a 

 greater necessity than ever before arose to 

 invoke the cooperation of practical zoologists 

 in the elucidation of problems connected with 

 the administration of the fisheries and the 

 conduct of fishery and aquicultural enter- 

 prises. Knowing as I do the limitations that 

 are necessarily imposed on the make-up of 

 our permanent scientific staff, it seems to me 

 to be incontrovertible that our ability to 

 measure up to the situation and meet the 

 needs of the coming years will depend in large 

 part on our success in enlisting for persona] 

 service and sympathetic counsel the trained 

 minds in the university zoological laboratories 

 or the trained students sent therefrom. 



H. M. Smith 

 BuEEAU or Fisheries, 

 Washington, T). C. 



The most cordial relations have always ex- 

 isted between the zoologists of the country 

 and the Bureau of Fisheries. When the bu- 

 reau was established, its work was placed in 

 charge of one who was recognized as a sci- 

 entific authority and who commanded the sup- 

 port of investigators in zoology because of 

 his scientific standing. The same recognition 

 is accorded to the present head of the Bureau 

 of Fisheries and to his able corps of assistants. 



The characteristic feature of these relations, 

 however, has been . the individuality of the 

 situation. Recognition has been given the in- 

 dividual leader by the individual investigator 

 and that cooperation in the activities of the 

 bureau, which has been referred to so cordially 

 by Dr. Smith, has resulted from individual 

 initiative, for the teacher or investigator has 

 responded to the personal requests of the sci- 

 entific leaders in the bureau. ISTow, admirable 

 as these relations have been in many ways, I 

 do not look upon the cooperation as the most 

 effective which can be secured, for it has not 

 been animated and directed by the institutions 

 of the country which concern themselves with 

 the training of investigators and with the 

 encouragement of research. 



So far as I laiow there have been no fixed 

 and formal relations in the past between the 

 government bureau and the public or private 

 colleges and universities. The results which 

 have come from individual initiative are so 

 conspicuously satisfactory, however, that one 

 may confidently look forward to much greater 

 benefits, if more extended and definite rela- 

 tions can be established between the Bureau 

 of Fisheries and the educational research in- 

 stitutions of the country. The nest question 

 is naturally the direction, scope and character 

 of such relations as are likely to yield greater 

 results. 



The paper of Dr. Smith has justly empha- 

 sized the need for greater work on the prob- 

 lems of aquatic resources and their utilization 

 for human welfare. ISTo comment is needed to 

 demonstrate the social significance of the pres- 

 ent high prices of food and of the heavy draft 

 on the world's reserve of food stuffs in con- 

 sequence of the war. To counteract the reduc- 

 tion in food supplies and the increased prices 



