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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIU. No. 1371 



the result, most probably, would be that the 

 American publishers would urge Congress to 

 put high import-duties on them, as has been 

 the case with scientific instruments. Or else, 

 another group of people would get alarmed 

 at the flood of German literature coming into 

 the country and would interpret it as a re- 

 vival of German propaganda. 



In either case it is easy to conjecture as to 

 who is finally to become the loser. There is 

 no doubt but that in either case the scientist 

 will suffer the most, the broad-gauge scientist 

 who liolds the view that science has no polit- 

 ical limits or national boundaries. 



Only a week or so ago I received a letter 

 from my German book-dealer, a prominent 

 publisher, by the way, who has from the start 

 strongly opposed the placing of any surtax, 

 whatsoever, on the export of German books 

 and publications. He informed me that at 

 last the German government has urged the 

 '' Borsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels " 

 (the central organization that controls the 

 price of books in Germany and abroad) to 

 lower its export-tax (Valuta-zuschlag). The 

 suggestion was acted upon favorably by this 

 organization and as a result the tax has been 

 lowered and fixed, for the time being, at 200 

 per cent, above the current price in Germany. 

 To all appearances this percentage is not 

 likely to go any higher since the rate of ex- 

 change, which has so far determined the sur- 

 tax, has an upward trend. Even at the 

 present rate a German hooh would cost much 

 less in this country than hefore the war. 



Before one may pass judgment on the cases 

 that seem discriminatory to the disadvantage 

 of the foreign buyer in favor of the German, 

 one should consider the fact that nowadays 

 and for a long time to come, the outlay for a 

 book of say 60 marks entails a much greater 

 sacrifice for the German scientist than three 

 times or even five times that amount in Ger- 

 man marks to the scientist in America. 



It is the principle of " Relativity " that 

 should guide us more in our judgments if 

 they are to be unbiased. 



The German publisher to whom I have re- 



ferred. Dr. W. Engelmann of Leipzig, has 

 likewise informed me that he, at least, has 

 abolished all foreign surtaxes on journals 

 published by his firm. (It is a matter of 

 regret to him that he is not (yet?) at liberty, 

 owing to the binding regulations of the 

 " Borsenverein " to do the same with his own 

 books.) Nevertheless he finds it hard to get 

 as few as 150 subscriptions to some of his 

 publications, a modest figure indeed, the at- 

 tainment of which is necessary to continue the 

 publication of such invaluable periodicals as 

 the Zeitschrifi f-iir wissenschaftliche Zoologiej 

 Groth's Zeitschrift fur Kristallo graphic und 

 Mineralogie, (now under the editorship of 

 the eminent Swiss mineralogist, Professor 

 P. Niggli, of Ziirich); the Botanische Jahr- 

 hiicher; and others. Two or three dollars 

 in German money now enables an American 

 scientist to take out a personal subscription 

 for a whole year. I trust an api)eal to inter- 

 nationally minded scientists and others is not 

 out of place here. Subscriptions for foreign 

 periodicals are needed and are most timely 

 at the present writing in that they will help 

 over times of difficulties such highly impor- 

 tant journals of international scope as have 

 been mentioned. Such an aid now is sure to 

 benefit all parties concerned, both immediately 

 and in the future. 



In conclusion I may add that another sci- 

 entific journal of high worth must receive 

 financial support, either through subscriptions 

 or voluntary gifts, if it is to be saved from 

 permanent suspension. I am this time re- 

 ferring to a publication devoted to soils, 

 namely the International Review of Pedology 

 or, as it is designated abroad in French and 

 in German respectively : Bevue internationale 

 de pedologie and Internationale Mitteilungen 

 fiir Bodenhunde. A group of Dutch agricul- 

 tural chemists have taken steps to insure the 

 continuation of that publication and volun- 

 tary gifts and subscriptions are solicited. 

 Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. 

 D. J. Hissink, in care of the Agricultural 

 Exi)eriment Station, Groningen, Holland. 

 M. W. Senstids 



Syracuse TJniveksity 



