September 17, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



267 



tugal, Italy, Germany, England, Ireland, Bel- 

 gium, South America and even remote Aus- 

 tralia. 



j. h. foulqdier, s.j. 

 Saceed Heart College, 

 Denver, Colo. 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES WILSON 



Sympathy at the death of former Secretary 

 of Agriculture James Wilson was sent to his 

 family in the form of a resolution adopted 

 at a meeting of the chiefs of the various 

 bureaus of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture. Tribute was paid to the former 

 head of the department for " his patriotic 

 devotion to the interests of all the people, his 

 broad vision, and his practical wisdom." As 

 a token of respect the flags on all department 

 buildings were placed at halfstaff, and re- 

 mained so until after the funeral, which took 

 place at Traer, Iowa. 



Because of the time of the funeral, the 

 department was unable to send representatives 

 from Washington. The department, however, 

 designated Dr. Henry C. Taylor, Chief of the 

 Office of Farm Management, who was in the 

 Middle West; Frank S. Pinney, Federal agri- 

 cultural statistician at Des Moines; and E. E. 

 Doolittle, Chief of the Central Food and 

 Drug Inspection District at Chicago, to rep- 

 resent it at the funeral. 



A floral tribute was sent by officials and 

 employees of the department as a token of 

 esteem for their former chief. The message 

 of sympathy sent the family of Mr. Wilson 

 followed a similar personal message sent by 

 Secretary of Agriculture Meredith. The reso- 

 lution of the bureau chiefs, forwarded by As- 

 sistant Secretary of Agriculture Ball, read: 



The members of the Department of Agriculture, 

 feeling deSiply the loss of their former secretary, 

 James "Wilson, of Iowa, desire to express their 

 sympathy with hia family and their appreciation 

 of his great services to the United States as Dean 

 of Agriculture, member of Congress, and Secretary 

 of Agriculture. His patriotic devotion to the in- 

 terests of all the people, his broad vision, and his 

 practical wisdom place him high among those who 



have deserved well of their country. Beloved as a 

 friend, admired and respected as an official, his 

 example as a man and a statesman is one to which 

 all Americans may turn for inspiration and emula- 

 tion : Therefore be it 



Resolved, That in the death of James Wilson 

 American agriculture has lost one of its greatest 

 exponents and American citizenship one of its 

 finest exemplars. 



In token of respect the flags on all department 

 buildings will be placed at half-mast, and a copy 

 of this resolution will be sent to the family. 



RESEARCH IN AVIATION 



An addition has been made to the activities 

 of the Imperial College at South Kensington in 

 the establishment of a new department of aero- 

 nautics. The movement was initiated by Sir 

 Basil Zaharoff's endowment of the University 

 of London chair of aviation, to which Sir 

 Richard Glazeibrook was appointed, with the 

 duty of directing the new department. 



The London Times states that the depart- 

 ment was established to give effect to the 

 scheme proposed by the committee on educa- 

 tion and research in aeronautics in their re- 

 port, dated December 12, 1919, in which the 

 opinion was expressed that the Imperial Col- 

 lege should become the central school for ad- 

 vanced study in aeronautical science. The 

 school is administered by an advisory commit- 

 tee of twelve members, with Sir Arthur Acland 

 as chairman, representing the college, the air 

 ministry, the aeronautical research committee, 

 the University of Cambridge, the Royal Aero- 

 nautical Society, and the Society of British 

 Aircraft Constructors. 



A comprehensive scheme of instruction and 

 training, mainly post-graduate in character, 

 has been arranged for next session beginning 

 in October, including special sections in aero- 

 nautical engineering, meteorology and naviga- 

 tion, and with the cooperation of the Air Min- 

 istry the services have been engaged of a dis- 

 tinguished staff of experts. Sir Napier Shaw 

 will be professor of meteorology; Mr. Leonard 

 Bairstow, professor of aerodynamics; Mr. A. 

 J. Sutton Pippard will deal with the structure 

 and strength of aircraft, and Mr. A. T. Evans 

 with the aircraft engines. Courses of lectures 



