October 15, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



363 



been appointed associate professor of geog- 

 raphy; Professor Russell S. Knappen, of the 

 University of Chicago, has been appointed as- 

 sistant professor of economic geology, and Dr. 

 Walter H. Schoewe, of the Colorado School of 

 Mines, has 'been appointed assistant professor 

 of geology. Dr. Winthrop P. Haynes, asso- 

 ciate professor of geology, is absent on leave 

 and will undertake for the Standard Oil Com- 

 pany of New Jersey explorations in northern 

 Mexico. 



At the Carnegie Institute of Technology new 

 ■appointmen'ts have been made as follows: In 

 the division of science and engineering are 0. 

 E. Clutter, Lauren C. Hand and Frank E. 

 Eupert, instructors in chemical engineering; 

 E. W. Boreman, W. H. Michner and A. 

 Press, instructors in physics; Charles A. Blod- 

 gett and Pred J. Evans, instructors in civil 

 engineering; "W. S. McKee, instructor in ma- 

 chine design; David C. Saylor, instructor in 

 mechanical engineering; W. A. Copeland, in- 

 structor in metallurgical and mining engi- 

 neering, W. Z. Price, assistant professor in 

 mining engineering, and C. G. Simpson, in- 

 structor in the mechanics department. In the 

 division of industries are Charles B. Walker 

 and P. ISr. Talley, instructors in chemistry, and 

 James Creech, instructor in press work, in the 

 priniting department. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 



AN INSTITUTION FOR TROPICAL RESEARCH 



To THE Editor of Science : The immense im- 

 portance of the tropics and of tropical prod- 

 ucts to the future of industry is being more 

 and more widely recognized. The most rapid 

 developments of the future will inevitably lie 

 to the southward since only there can now be 

 found unlimited, unused opportunity. The 

 greatest volume of trade must ultimately flow 

 north and south rather than east and west 

 since east and west have in the main similar 

 products while those of north and south are 

 complementary. The necessity for a much 

 more accurate and extensive knowledge of 

 tropical conditions, products and resources is 

 being realized by many. 



Concrete plans for an American institution 

 devoted to tropical research seem first to have 

 been suggested in the Philippines, where such 

 tremendous strides have been taken along these 

 lines since the American occupation of these 

 islands. Director Arthur F. Fischer, of the 

 Philippine Bureau of Forestry, and Dean C. 

 F. Baker, of the College of Agriculture, have 

 been particularly active in this propaganda. 

 When the Eoosevelt Memorial Association was 

 formed it occurred to the present writer that 

 the foundation of such an institution would be 

 a most fitting memorial to the memory of that 

 strenuous advocate of the conservation of nat- 

 ural resources and explorer of tropical wilder- 

 nesses. An outline for the organization of a 

 Eoosevelt Memorial Institution for the Study 

 of Tropical America was accordingly drawn 

 up and was submitted to the association but 

 no favorable action was secured. 



At the close of the war the ITational Ee- 

 search Council was organized from what had 

 been the Council for National Defense. It is 

 understood that the importance of tropical 

 problems has been given due consideration by J 

 this body, and that committees have been ap- 

 pointed who have submitted reports but that 

 so far no final action has been taken toward 

 formulating a concrete plan for tropical work. 

 The writer has no connection with the Council 

 for National Eesearch but his interest in 

 everything relating to tropical problems is so 

 great that he begs permission to submit the 

 following for the consideration of this body: 



OUTLINE FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE EOOSEVELT 



INSTITUTION FOR TROPICAL EESEARCH UNDER 



THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL 



RESEARCH COUNCIL 



1. This institution should be organized as a 

 special section of the council with a permanent 

 secretary and an office force to collate and in- 

 dex existing knowledge of tropical resources 

 and conditions. A bibliographic card index 

 should be made indicating in what libraries^ 

 given works can be consulted. 



1 The necessity for sucli information as this was 

 forcibly brought home to the writer during a re- 

 cent visit to the libraries of Washington and New 



