OctoseEr 25, 1918] 
are long are essentially those invented and 
adopted by astronomers. In fact an American 
astronomer has perfected within the past few 
months an entirely new instrument for the use 
of navigators, an instrument which will mean 
a great deal to both our sea and our air force. 
Another science which seems remote from 
war is geology, and yet it has proved not 
simply useful, but essential. The minute you 
realize that this war is concerned with 
trenches, dugouts, military mines, tunnels, 
water-supply, etc., you see that here the geolo- 
gist must be summoned to help. He alone 
knows from his maps, made in times of peace, 
how to plan for any emergency requiring one 
to go below the surface of the earth. 
There is a group of sciences, not physical, 
which has, in the end, the greatest responsi- 
bility in bringing victory to our arms. The 
men who are directing the work, in the lab- 
oratory and in the field, are university men 
almost without exception. This group includes 
experimental psychology, medicine and sur- 
gery and hygiene. The function of the first 
of these is to devise such tests that we may be 
reasonably sure that a man selected for a cer- 
tain duty can perform it. As a simple illus- 
tration, think of an airplane pilot. It is not 
difficult to analyze his responsibilities and to 
state the qualities which he should possess; 
further it is not impossible to devise experi- 
mental tests which may be performed on the 
ground in order to see if he has these qualities 
or, if not, to see whether he can acquire them 
in a short time. Our aviation section of the 
army has equipped laboratories along these 
lines, and the results obtained are most in- 
teresting. Certain generalizations will un- 
doubtedly be deduced, and the examination of 
candidates can proceed more rapidly. As soon 
as our military departments can be persuaded 
to recognize the fact that experimental psy- 
chology can in many, if not all, cases state 
definitely that a man with such and such reac- 
tions ought not to command a company, a 
regiment or a ship, our fighting forces will be- 
come efficient, not before. 
The varied activities of our medical depart- 
ments are known to you all. When I think of 
SCIENCE 
409 
them, what is uppermost in my mind is their 
progress in combating disease. I may be par- 
doned for speaking of two illustrations. The 
gas-bacillus, the cause of hospital gangrene, 
has lost its terrors absolutely; first by the Car- 
rel-Dakin treatment of wounds, second by Dr. 
Bull’s discovery of a serum which may be 
used exactly as diphtheria anti-toxin is used. 
Dr. Carrel is a Frenchman and Dr. Dakin is 
au Englishman; but both have lived long in 
this country; and Dr. Bull perfected his 
method at the Rockefeller Institute, New 
York. My second illustration is the discovery 
of the means by which trench fever is con- 
veyed from patient to patient. This is not a 
dangerous disease, but is one which renders 
soldiers non-combatants for the time being. 
This discovery has just been made in France 
by two of our American doctors, both attached 
in normal times to American universities. 
Time fails me to speak of any more of the 
ever-growing number of ways in which the 
men of science of all countries are helping the 
military arms. But, if I were to stop now, I 
would leave unanswered one question which I 
know is in your mind. You are probably say- 
ing to yourselves, “ Yes, this is interesting to 
hear about the scientific achievements of our- 
selves and the Allies; but what is the real use 
of it, when Germany, which leads the world in 
all branches of science, is our enemy?” Now, 
let me say at the very beginning that no edu- 
cated man, certainly no member of the Phi 
Beta Kappa Society should assert that Ger- 
many is the leader of the world in science. It 
is true that Germany modestly acknowledges 
it, and every American newspaper supports 
the claim in ways both direct and insidious. 
The facts, however, do not support it. Many 
years ago it undoubtedly was true, but a full 
generation has passed since then. The Prus- 
sian form of government does not encourage 
individuality or freedom of thought; and these 
are essential for scientific discoveries and sci- 
entific development. In all seriousness I main- 
tain that Germany has not been fruitful in 
ideas for many years in any of the experi- 
mental sciences, with the exception of medi- 
cine. In the fields of physics, of chemistry, 
