December 24, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



607 



each subcommittee supervising a section of the 

 institute, and all conferring together in cases 

 of difficulty. An institute of physics was com- 

 ing intoi being; why not an institute of radi- 

 ology adjoining it or incorporated with it ? At 

 Petrograd a new institute of radiology had 

 lately been inaugurated in a building of recent 

 construction. If Bolshevik Russia, asked Dr. 

 Knox, could erect an institute of radiology in 

 the midst of its great upheaval, was the United 

 Kingdom going to be outdone? 



The National Research Council has estab- 

 lished the Research Information Service as a 

 general clearing-house and informational bu- 

 reau for scientific and industrial research. 

 This " Service " on request supplies informa- 

 tion concerning research problems, progress, 

 personnel, funds, etc. Ordinarily inquiries are 

 answered without charge. When this is im- 

 possible, because of unusual difficulty in se- 

 curing information, the inquirer is notified 

 and supplied with an estimate of cost. Much 

 of the information assembled by this bureau 

 is published promptly in the Bulletin or the 

 " Reprint and Circular Series " of the Na- 

 tional Research Council, but the purpose is to 

 maintain complete up-to-date files in the gen- 

 eral office of the council. Announcement will 

 be made from time to time of special informa- 

 tional files which have been prepared. Re- 

 quests for information should be addressed to 

 the Research Information Service, 1701 Massa- 

 chusetts Avenue, Washington, D. C. 



The Carnegie Foundation for the Advance- 

 ment of Teacliing distributed up to June 30, 

 1920, the sum of $7,964,000 in 664 retiring 

 allowances and 245 pensions to widows of pro- 

 fessors in 159 universities and colleges. This 

 announcement has been made to the trustees, 

 by Dr. Henry S. Pritchett, the president. 

 The Foundations assets are $24,628,000. The 

 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, 

 established by the Foundation, during its first 

 two years had provided for teachers in 213 

 institutions, 585 policies totalling $2,969,000 

 and 513 annuity contracts representing $540,- 

 000, or total expected payments of $6,480,000. 



The association's annuities have been adopted 

 by thirty-four universities and colleges for all 

 teachers desiring them, it was stated. Presi- 

 dent Hibben, of Princeton, President Vinson, 

 of the University of Texas, President Perry, 

 of Hamilton College and President ISTeilson, 

 of Smith College, have been elected trustees 

 to fill vacancies. President Humphreys, of 

 Stevens Institute has been elected chairman; 

 President Thwing, of Western Reserve Uni- 

 versity, vice chairman, and Chancellor Kirk- 

 land, of Vanderbilt University, secretary of 

 the board. 



We learn from Nature that the English 

 courts gave on November 17, a decision on the 

 motion for an injunction to prevent Messrs. 

 Brunner, Mond and Co., from distributing 

 £100,000, as it was authorized to do by an ex- 

 traordinary general meeting on August 5. It 

 will be remembered that at this meeting the 

 directors were empowered to distribute that 

 sum to such universities or other scientific in- 

 stitutions in the United Kingdom as they 

 might select for the furtherance of scientific 

 education and research. The money was to 

 be provided from the investment surplus re- 

 serve account. It was urged that in carrying 

 out the resolution the directors would be act- 

 ing a way which was outside the scope of the 

 stated objects of the company, but Mr. Justice 

 Eve ruled that the resolution came within the 

 bounds of what was likely to lead to the direct 

 advantage of the company, and therefore re- 

 fused to make an order on the motion. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 NEWS 



Francis Lynde Stetson has bequeathed his 

 residuary estate, estimated at from $1,000,000 

 to $1,500,000, to Williams College, of which 

 he was a senior trustee for many years and a 

 benefactor during his life. He gave $100,000 

 additional to the college to establish eight 

 scholarships for worthy students from Clinton 

 County. The testator directs preference be 

 given to students from the city of Plattsburg 

 and the towns of Champlain, Chazy and 

 Ausable in that order. 



