496 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1169 



—the war industry — that presents itself on the 

 other side of the water. . . . Now, there are two 

 ways of dealing with a problem of this kind. One 

 way is by the hearty cooperation of the men al- 

 ready engaged in the industry. The other way is 

 by compulsion. My erperienoe in the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission led me to believe that the 

 larger men in the railroad industry had quite as 

 much vision as I had, and if I could show them the 

 importance of an occasion they would try to meet 

 it. So, instead of resorting to compulsion, instead 

 of taking over mines and great operating plants we 

 are endeavoring to put you men at your best. 

 This war is a challenge to us. 



The chairman of the committee writes: 



Notwithstanding the increased production of coal 

 from practically every district, the increasing re- 

 quirements to meet the needs of all classes of in- 

 dustry, as well as for the comfort and welfare of 

 the people and the transportation of troops, muni- 

 tions, food and other products, together with the 

 supplying of our allies, and for our national pro- 

 tection — all these demands are liable to surpass the 

 capacity of our mines imless the full cooperation 

 of the mining, transporting and distributing agents 

 of this country is secured. This emergency re- 

 quires not only the development of the highest efii- 

 ciency, especially on account of a diminished sup- 

 ply of labor used in the production of coal, but 

 also in more comprehensive methods of coopera- 

 tion by the coal producers with the transporting 

 and distributing agencies, so that not only a full 

 production will be secured, but also that this pro- 

 duction finds its way over our railroads into those 

 centers where the most urgent need exists. If the 

 demand for this product continues to increase it 

 may be necessary that active steps be taken to so 

 far as possible confine the distribution and use of 

 it to those activities which are more nearly vital to 

 the welfare and protection of the nation. That 

 this may not effect an unnecessary hardship upon 

 the. domestic welfare of our people it is necessary 

 to promote the closest cooperation, and because 

 of the duty laid upon us to promote this welfare 

 we urge upon you that you cooi^erate with this 

 committee in its efforts to promote the largest pro- 

 duction, the most equitable distribution and the 

 highest use to produce the best economic results. 

 No doubt an emergency exists, but it is the belief 

 of this committee that with your hearty support 

 and the assistance of the public in conserving 

 supply, sufficient fuel can be had to meet public 

 necessity. 



FOOD EXHIBITS AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM 

 OF NATURAL HISTORY 



Many foods, hitherto not eaten by the people 

 of the United States, or which have only a 

 limited vogue, are shown at the Food Values 

 and Economies Exhibition opened on May 23 

 in the Ajneriean Museum of Natural History. 



An especially interesting feature of the ex- 

 hibition is the division devoted to unutilized 

 seashore foods, such as filet of shark, gray 

 fish, mussels, skate, many kinds of edible sea- 

 weeds and periwinkles. The history and use- 

 fulness of the king of American cereals — corn 

 -^is graphically demonstrated. There are 

 numerous products of corn and also cornmeal 

 dishes and preparations. 



The values by calories of portions in the 

 popular restaurants are visualized and there 

 are specimen meals suitable for serving in 

 the home. How the population fares in lands 

 beyond the sea will be shown by samples of 

 war bread and of the rations prescribed by 

 European food dictators. The housewife may 

 also obtain from this exhibition many prac- 

 tical suggestions as to how to stop the leaks 

 and to promote table economy. Several hotels 

 of the city are to exhibit new dishes specially 

 adapted for the conditions of the present day 

 and from them many helpful hints may be 

 obtained by the general public. 



The exhibition will be open for about one 

 month. It was introduced by a special meet- 

 ing devoted to conservation for war, held in 

 the auditorium of the museum ori Wednesday. 

 According to the program the president of the 

 institution, Dr. Henry Fairfield Osborn, pre- 

 sided and addresses were to be delivered by 

 Mr. George W. Perkins, chairman of the 

 Mayor's Food Commission; Dr. Graham Lusk, 

 professor of physiology, Medical College of 

 Cornell University; Dr. Hermann N. Biggs, 

 New York State commissioner of health; and 

 Dr. Walter B. James, president, New York 

 Academy of Medicine. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



Dr. CH.tRLES E. Cuoss, Thayer professor of 

 physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- 

 nology, will become professor emeritus at the 



