290 
local section than from the national organiza- 
tion. 
Our parent societies have joined in forming the 
United Engineering Society, and the plan has 
proved eminently successful from every angle. | 
May we not begin now to lay the foundation for 
branches of that organization in western centers? 
Why not the San Francisco branch of the United 
Engineering Society? At least we may suggest this 
as an ultimate possibility, another incentive among 
the opportunities that await our pioneer joint 
council. : 
The joint council will have regular meetings 
once a month, the executive committee con- 
vening at the pleasure of its members. The 
constitution tentatively adopted at the Sep- 
tember 4 meeting sets forth the following as 
the purposes of the organization: 
1. To foster closer relationship among the 
engineering societies of San Francisco, espe- 
Gially in those matters (a) where cooperation 
will make for more efficient “win the war” 
service, (b) where cooperation will make for 
more efficient service to the state of California, 
its cities and counties, and (c) where ¢co- 
operation will expedite progress toward those 
ideals common to’ our several organizations. 
2. To plan and carry out arrangements for 
joint meetings of the several societies when- 
ever such meetings are deemed advisable and 
to endeavor to make joint meetings effective 
in developing closer relationships among mem- 
bers of the several societies. 
3. To act generally as the clearing house 
for matters which involve the several societies, 
especially where the common good will be en- 
hanced by working through an executive head 
representative of the several organizations. 
The first act of the joint council was the 
decision to urge upon the governor of the 
state the appointment of an engineer as mem- 
ber of the state railroad commission. In ~ 
making this recommendation it was pointed 
out that “the best interest of the state would 
be served by the appointment of engineers as 
members of commissions dealing with prob- 
lems the solution of which requires technical 
training and experience” and that the ap- 
pointment of an engineer to fill one of the 
SCIENCE 
{N. 8. Vou. XLVIITI. No. 1238 
vacancies on the state railroad commission 
would doubtless “be regarded by the people 
of the state as indicating a wish to place the 
public service on the highest plane of efficiency 
and will be ereditable both to the appointing 
power and to the engineering profession.” 
CHEMISTS AND THE CHEMICAL WARFARE 
SERVICE 
Masor GENERAL WILLIAM L. Srpert, director 
of the Chemical Warfare Service, addressed, 
on September 1, the following letter to the 
chemists of the United States: 
This is a chemical war: therefore the War De- 
partment must have immediately available all pos- 
sible information regarding chemical materials and 
chemical man power. Of these two essential ele- 
ments chemical man power has so far received less 
attention. The census of American chemists made 
by the American Chemical Society in 1917 has 
been of great assistance to the War Department. 
Without it the present state of progress of the 
United States in chemical warfare would have 
been impossible of attainment. 
However, during the same period conditions 
have undergone rapid and radical changes. The 
old census, excellent as it was, is no longer com- 
pletely adequate. With the organization of the 
Chemical Warfare Service as an independent 
branch of the War Department, unifying all the 
elements of chemical warfare, it is obvious that 
the War Department must have its own set of ree- 
ords on a matter so vital to its own success. More- 
over, these records must contain information which 
a short time ago was apparently of little im- 
portance. The new census must be made primarily 
from the viewpoint of the military status of chem- 
ists. 
The importance of a prompt return of the cen- 
sus blank, properly filled out, by every chemist of 
the country, can not be overstated. American 
chemists are presented at this moment with one of 
the greatest opportunities to serve their country by 
the simple process of answering this questionnaire 
with all possible speed. 
Ir is stated in the Journal of Industrial and 
Engineering Chemistry that as a result-of the 
letter from the Adjutant General of the Army, 
dated May 28, 1918, 1,749 chemists have been 
reported on. Of these the report of action to 
August 1, 1918, shows that 281 were ordered 
to remain with their military organization 
