July 31, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



157 



from the economic activity is a necessity. 

 A distin^iished president in one of these 

 activities would scarcely prove an excel- 

 lent one in the other; yet it is evident that 

 both phases of the work must be executed 

 with equal excellence. The need of the 

 third member of the presiding body scarcely 

 demands an explanation. 



It is naturally necessary that there should 

 be a close and carefully defined connection 

 between the International Chemical Insti- 

 tute and the International Association of 

 Chemical Societies. The International 

 Chemical Institute is, so to speak, the 

 executive for the widest needs of chemis- 

 try in general, as represented by the Inter- 

 national Association of Chemic Societies. 

 Through this constant connection of the 

 Institute with the Association, joined to the 

 annual change in the representative of the 

 Association, a vivifying factor wiU be intro- 

 duced in the Institute, so easily neglected 

 when the management remains always the 

 same. 



To the president of scientific activities 

 the directors of the different scientific de- 

 partments will be subordinate. These di- 

 rectors will have independent control of 

 their own sections. These latter should all 

 be lifelong positions for which the most 

 capable and experienced occupants must be 

 found. Bach departmental director will 

 be served by a larger or smaller group of 

 assistants according to the type of work of 

 the department. Each of these depart- 

 ments must be operated efficiently and ac- 

 cording to the most recent progress in 

 technique — ^whieh goes without saying in an 

 institute founded on truly scientific prin- 

 ciples. 



Further two more bodies could well be 

 formed, standing in a freer relation to the 

 institute. First, a scientific council which 

 together with the president of the Inter- 

 national Association of Chemic Societies 



will provide the Institute with requisite 

 new suggestions, demands and methods. 

 This will be an independent body formed 

 of leaders in scientific and technical chem- 

 istry throughout the world. It wiU meet, 

 say, annually for free discussion concern- 

 ing the management and development of 

 the Institute. Perhaps its function can be 

 partly performed by the Council of the 

 International Association of Chemic Soci- 

 eties. 



A second similarly constituted body will 

 be formed of those who have aided in found- 

 ing and supporting the institute, through 

 gifts of importance whether of money, 

 materials, books, chemicals, etc. This body 

 would support the president of finances as 

 the other would the president of science 

 and would act particularly when funds 

 were to be secured, or the activity of the 

 Institute expanded and new departments 

 formed. 



MEMBERSHIP OP THE INSTITUTE 



Concerning the relation of the Institute 

 to chemists the world over, I conceive of 

 the following connection: 



The extraordinary simplification and 

 help which every one can obtain from the 

 Institute for work in our field justifies a 

 certain pecuniary support from those so 

 aided. On the other hand it must be borne 

 in mind that the majority of our colleagues 

 are not in brilliant pecuniary positions so 

 that this fee must be made relatively small. 

 Yearly dues of one to two dollars could be 

 borne by all whose work would be furthered 

 by use of the institute and would be large 

 enough to aid materially. 



The membership of the chemic societies 

 of the world is about 20,000 ; assuming that 

 half of these became members of the Insti- 

 tute an annual fee of one dollar would 

 yield a yearly income of ten thousand 

 dollars; a two dollar fee yield twice as 



