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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LII. No. 1335 



age. As one clear evidence of this I cite the 

 adoption, by the American Federation of 

 Labor at Atlantic City, of that noteworthy 

 resolution with its remarkable preambles con- 

 cerning the importance to the nation of sci- 

 entific research. The resolution is well worth 

 repeating here and is as follows: 



Besolved, by the American Federation of Labor 

 in convention assembled, that a broad program of 

 scientific and technical research is of major impor- 

 tance to the national welfare and should be fos- 

 tered in every way by the federal government, and 

 that the activities of the government itself in such 

 research should be adequately and generously 

 supported in order that the work may be greatly 

 strengthened and extended; and the secretary lof 

 this federation is instructed to transmit copies of 

 this resolution to the President of the United 

 States, to the president pro tempore of the Senate, 

 and to the speaker of the House of Kepresentatives. 



The five preambles preceding the resolution 

 set forth in a very clear, cogent manner the 

 importance of research to the development 

 of our industries, manufacturing, agriculture, 

 mining, to increased production, and to the 

 general welfare of the workers. One can not 

 fail to realize that the accumulated achieve- 

 ments of science prior to the war together 

 with the accomplishments of scientists during 

 that terrible struggle have created a heritage 

 for future generations of research workers 

 from which they may " take increased de- 

 votion " to their chosen pursuit. Although 

 we may feel gratified with this background of 

 the status of research and with the present 

 position of science we must not forget that 

 there is another and serious side to this 

 situation. We must not forget that this 

 world confidence in our work and reliance 

 upon us for future accomplishment put upon 

 us an enormous responsibility and a high 

 obligation to show ourselves worthy of the 

 faith and equal to the expectations of 

 hmnanity. Moreover, we are now in a posi- 

 tion where we must make a determined effort 

 to meet these added obligations and live up 

 to them in the same devoted, courageous, un- 

 selfish spirit of achievement with which this 

 heritage has come to us and we must carry 



them on with energy, effectiveness, and joy. 

 What, then, are some of the obligations and 

 opportunities of the scientist in the coming 

 years of peace? 



OPPORTUNITIES OF SCIENTISTS IN THE SOCIAL WEL- 

 FARE OF THE PEOPLE 



First of all it seems to me that the student 

 of science will necessarily take a more active 

 part in certain directions, at least, in at- 

 tempts to aid in solving some of the social 

 and perhaps political problems of the people. 

 Indeed it appears to be his duty to do so 

 and the opportunity is worthy of the man. 

 As a case in point with which I have been 

 much impressed was the partitioning of 

 Austria-Hungary by the Conference of Paris. 

 Simonds points out very forcefully that in 

 this partitioning there was created one state 

 rich in minerals and possessing considerable 

 industrial machinery but having no areas of 

 soil on which food can be grown for the sup- 

 port of its people. Another state was created 

 containing the city of Vienna which ap- 

 parently has no sources of food, of raw mate- 

 rials, or of any of the elements necessary for 

 self-maintenance, while a third state was set 

 apart that has no minerals and few raw 

 materials but can produce more food than is 

 needed for its own consumption yet it was 

 given no outlet to the sea and was left with 

 no means of transportation by which products 

 can be exchanged between it and adjacent 

 states. Thus the economic situation created 

 by academic statesmen and politicians is an 

 impossible one. If the technically trained 

 civil-engineer, mining engineer, geologist, soil 

 technologist, and agronomist, for example, 

 had been sent to study the regions and their 

 data had been laid before the Conference and 

 the vital bearing of their findings on the eco- 

 nomics of the situation had been pointed out, 

 perhaps, as Simonds says, from another point 

 of view, the eggs would not now have to be 

 wholly unscrambled in order to make living 

 conditions for those middle European people 

 possible. Certainly the opportunity for the 

 scientist in this political matter was and is 



