April 25, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



389 



questioned, the government was unwilling to 

 finance the perfecting of it, and the work had 

 to be completed on the other side of the 

 Atlantic. At the entry of this country into 

 the World War flying machines were greatly 

 needed, and six himdred millions of dollars 

 were largely wasted in experiment before en- 

 tering upon a course that led to success; a 

 success, however, that placed the first efficient 

 machines in the field just after the fighting 

 was over. 



It would seem that the wisdom of prepared- 

 ness in scientific lines as in others has had a 

 most vivid demonstration in many instances 

 during the course of the Great War. How 

 well it has been learned is yet to be shown in 

 the increased amount of encouragement and 

 support given to both pure and applied science 

 in the days to come. We will see if some of 

 the hundreds of millions of dollars, or possibly 

 billions fortunately conserved by the curtail- 

 ment of the war will be turned into productive 

 science, or be used for another display of 

 ineptitude. 



Most of the members of this society have 

 closer relations with the university, however, 

 than with the government. The purpose of 

 the questionnaire recently sent to the mem- 

 bers of the instructional force of Purdue Uni- 

 versity was to ascertain the attitude of the 

 various individuals toward research, what 

 amount of such work was under way, and 

 what encouragement was being received by 

 tliem from any source. 



The replies show clearly that research is 

 probably favored by all, many are attempt- 

 ing it, and a few succeed. Some persons are 

 not naturally endowed with the qualities that 

 are required by the able investigator, as some 

 do not make good teachers, good administra- 

 tors, good inventors, etc. A few apparently do 

 not know what sort of eflFort is required for 

 research. One answers that he does no re- 

 search because he has not been assigned to it, 

 others say they have no chance to work out 

 their problems. It is undoubtedly true, as I 

 find stated in one of the answers, that " men 

 who are waiting for ' chances ' are usually 



those who have given no objective sign of re- 

 search ability." 



As to the attitude of superiors it appears, 

 except for a few cases, to be favorable, and in 

 some instances most cordial. Part of the feel- 

 ing that the man above does not support the 

 effort to do original work can probably be 

 ascribed to individual temperament. I find 

 one answering that the attitude of his superior 

 is ' indifferent,' yet the head of this depart- 

 ment returns the following statement: 



I feel that not only this university but all in- 

 stitutions of higher learning should encourage re- 

 search work on the part of its teachers. Nothing 

 should be left undone that could aid in bringing 

 about a healthful activity along this line. 



In a department that is not well suited to 

 research one returns the statement that he 

 does none because objection is made by the 

 department, while another says he is engaged 

 in research directed and paid for by the de- 

 partment. 



Nevertheless, there seems to be a just and 

 nearly general complaint, except from a few 

 who are in the engineering or agricultural 

 experiment stations, that they are so heavily 

 loaded with routine work that little time or 

 energy is left for research. This brings up 

 the question if it be not a legitimate part of 

 a imiversity man's duty to devote some of his 

 time and strength to extending the boundaries 

 of knowledge, and should not this be recog- 

 nized and provided for by the university which 

 he serves. What are the functions of a uni- 

 versity? The higher institutions of learning 

 are now as they have always been, the source 

 and the disseminators of learning. They have 

 been charged with the two-fold duty of in- 

 creasing the stock of knowledge and of teach- 

 ing. 



One of the questionnaires brought out this 

 statement: "My ideal of a position is one 

 where most of the time is given to research 

 aided by several interested students, and part 

 of the time taken up with preparing and 

 delivering lectures in courses where one has 

 the benefit of contact with interested stu- 

 dents." By adjusting the ratio between teach- 



