242 
influences. The mortality in infants from 
tuberculosis was 2.89 per thousand births, 
much the lowest on record. 
WAR COMMITTEE OF TECHNICAL SOCIETIES 
_ Tere has been organized a war committee 
of technical societies consisting of the follow- 
ing members: American Society of Civil En- 
gineers, Nelson P. Lewis, Major James M. 
Boyle; American Institute of Electrical Engi- 
neers, Harold W. Buck, Dr. A. S. McAllister; 
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 
Professor A. M. Greene, Jr., R. N. Inglis; 
American Institute of Mining Engineers, 
David W. Brunton, Edmund B. Kirby; Amer- 
ican Gas Institute, Dana D. Barnum, E. C. 
Uhlig; American Electrochemical - Society, 
Joseph Bijur, Dr. Chas. A: Doremus; Illumi- 
nating Engineering Society, Louis B. Marks, 
Preston S. Millar; Mining and Metallurgical 
Society of America, Christopher R. Corning, 
George C. Stone; American Society of Refrig- 
erating Engineers, Henry Torrance, F. E. 
Matthews; American Institute of Chemical 
Engineers, Dr. Chas. F. McKenna, Frank E. 
Dodge. 
The chairman, D. W. Brunton, has ad- 
dressed the following letter: 
The men who, at the call of patriotism and 
duty, have joined the colors, are not only risking 
their lives, but are cheerfully sacrificing their ca- 
reers and in many instances their financial inter- 
ests to protect the honor of the nation. It, there- 
fore, becomes the duty of those of us who, for 
various reasons, are unable to enlist, to do some- 
thing more than our share in keeping the machinery 
of industry moving. 
Other wars have been fought only on land and 
sea, but in this conflict the combatant areas have 
been greatly extended by the advent of submarines, 
flying machines and even subterranean warfare. 
In previous wars the armies and navies of bellig- 
erents were practically the only forces engaged; 
in this war the full economic strength of nations is 
drawn into the contest and every branch of scien- 
tific and industrial effort is taxed to the utmost. 
Intensifying production and conserving the 
supply of food and clothing constitute service 
within the reach of all, but the éngineers, electri- 
cians and chemists of this country can go a step 
further and utilize their technical training to de- 
SCIENCE 
[N. 8. Vou. XLVIIT. No. 1236 
velop such new devices and improvements, equip- 
ment and methods as will give our Army and Navy 
that superiority which will assure victory. ; 
Inventive talent in this country is by no means 
confined to the membership of our societies; mem- 
bers who have employees or acquaintances of an 
originative turn of mind should make an effort to 
stimulate that most useful talent by passing on to 
such persons the bulletins as they are received, 
and also by calling attention to the numerous ably 
written articles on the mechanical phases of the 
war, published in technical and popular magazines. 
In the world-conflict which is going on to-day 
the three dominating factors, the submarine, the 
automatic machine gun and the flying machine, are 
all American inventions. This nation is still in its 
youth and can therefore be expected to do in future 
still greater things than it has done in the past. 
War is a new occupation to us, but under the 
stimulus and pressure of its necessity, we should 
advance as far in the arts of war during the next 
two years as we normally would in twenty. 
‘Some of the civilian engineers of this country 
are now rendering great service to the government 
through the agencies of the Council of National 
Defense, the Naval Consulting Board, the Na- 
tional Research Council and their numerous auxil- 
iary committees, but -unfortunately only a small 
proportion of the technical men of this country are 
so situated that they can go to Washington and 
engage in this service; therefore, some means of 
utilizing the patriotism and originative thought of 
our members had to be devised. 
For this purpose the War Committee of Techni- 
cal Societies has been organized, and it hopes to 
give the members of the technical societies who are 
obliged to stay at home, an opportunity to use 
their inventive talent and technical training in the 
study of the varied problems which arise in the 
preparation for and prosecution of the war—thus 
making valuable contributions to the national 
cause, 
The greatest care will be taken to discover and 
utilize everything of value that may inhere in sug- 
gestions and inventions submitted. Not only will 
they receive studious examination, but when nec- 
cessary, trials and experiments will be conducted. 
All inventions which have successfully passed the 
necessary examinations and tests are turned over 
to the particular department of the Army and 
Navy Service where they may be most profitably 
utilized. d 
D. W. Brunton, 
Chairman 
