426 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1166 



W. F. M. Goss, Clemens Hershel, M. I. 

 Pupin, Charles F. Eand, C. E. Skinner, S. W. 

 Stratton, Ambrose Swasey, Elihu Thomson. 

 Previous to the appointment of this com- 

 mittee the following letter, dated April 18, 

 191Y, was addressed to the presidents of the 

 American Societies of Civil, Electrical, Me- 

 chanical and Mining Engineers : 



The National Research Couneil desires to in- 

 crease its means oif serving the government in sup- 

 port of National Defense by enlisting through an 

 engineering committee the services of a group of 

 distinguished engineers drawn from the field of 

 engineering research in each of the four main di- 

 visions of civil, mining, mechanical and electrical 

 engineering. 



The members of this committee would deal di- 

 rectly with engineering research problems falling 

 within the spheres of their experience, and would 

 serve as representatives of their respective na- 

 tional engineering societies for the caUiag upon 

 other members of those societies for the services 

 which the societies have offered to the government 

 in connection with problems of defense and other 

 problems that have been referred to the National 

 Research Council. 



The National Research Council operates through 

 a number of central committees covering the 

 physical sciences, medicine, hygiene, agriculture 

 and other subjects as described in the pamphlet, 

 enclosed herewith, which gives the scheme of or- 

 ganization of the council as developed up to Jan- 

 uary 15, 1917. 



The engineering committee is a central com- 

 mittee coordinate with the other central commit- 

 tees therein listed. 



In addition to services in the field of engineering 

 research the oouncU has need of some general 

 engineering services auxiliary to problems of re- 

 search, and desires to be in a position to enlist such 

 services in support of the general objects of the 

 council. 



These objects are, to bring into cooperation ex- 

 isting governmental, educational, industrial and 

 other research organizations with the purpose of 

 encouraging the investigation of natural phenom- 

 ena, the increased use of scientific research in the 

 development of American industries, the employ- 

 ment of scientific methods in strengthening the 

 national defense, and such other applications of 

 science as will promote the national security and 

 welfare. 



The relation of the National Research Council to 



The Engineering Foundation is described in en- 

 closed report by the secretary of The Engineering 

 Foundation. 



The relation of the National Research Council to 

 the Council of National Defense is indicated by the 

 following resolution, passed on the 21st of Feb- 

 ruary, by the Council of National Defense: 



Eesolved, that the Couneil of National Defense, 

 recognizing that the National Research Council, at 

 the request of the President of the United States 

 has organized the scientific forces of the country 

 in the interest of National Defense and National 

 welfare, requests that the National Research Coun- 

 cil cooperate with it in matters pertaining to sci- 

 entific research for National Defense and to this 

 end the Council of National Defense suggests that 

 the National Research Council appoint a com- 

 mittee of not more than three, at least one of 

 whom shall be located in Washington, for the pur- 

 pose of maintaining active relations with the di- 

 rector of the CoimcU of National Defense. 



The executive committee of the National Re- 

 search CounoU would appreciate it if on behalf of 

 the American Institute of Electrical Engineers you 

 would designate two engineers skilled in engineer- 

 ing research, whom the committee may appoint 

 members of the engineering committee of the Na- 

 tional Research Council, to render the services out- 

 lined in this communication and to serve as a 

 means of calling upon other members of the Amer- 

 ican Institute of Electrical Engineers for services 

 that the National Research Council may need in 

 support of the national objects herein referred to. 

 George E. Hale, 



Chairman, National Besearch Council, 

 John J. Caktt, 



Chairman, Executive Committee, 

 Gano Dunn, 



Chairman, Engineering Committee 



MEDICAL STUDENTS AND THE WAR 



The Medical School Committee of the Med- 

 ical Board of the Council of ISTational De- 

 fense has made the following report : 



In your effort to solve the urgent problem before 

 this board and assist the surgeon general in sup- 

 plying an adequate number of medical ofiicers for 

 the Army and Navy, it is important that this coun- 

 try should not repeat England's blunder at the 

 outbreak of the war in permitting the disorganiza- 

 tion of the medical schools either by calling the fac- 

 ulties into active service or sanctioning the 

 enlistment of medical students into any of the line 

 organizations. Ordinary foresight demands that 

 we face the possibUity that the war upon which we 



