Fbbeuabt 25, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



277 



ments that have been built from. Philadelphia, 

 Boston, Glace Bay, Newcastle (N. B.), New York, 

 Norfolk, New Orleans, Panama, Key West, San 

 Diego and Hanover, Germany. When atmospheric 

 disturbances have been very pronounced on the 

 large antenna at the West Laboratory, they have 

 been very slight on the direction finder apparatus, 

 which is entirely indoors, having no antenna or 

 earth or other outside connection. This apparatus 

 appears to be well adapted to use (a) on mer- 

 chant and naval ships to obtain the direction from 

 any lighthouses or lightships that may be equipped 

 with radio fog signaling apparatus, (6) to obtain 

 the direction of one ship from another at sea, (c) 

 to communicate between ships or ship and shore 

 stations irrespective of direction by reducing in- 

 terference and atmospherics, (<J) to use by the 

 War Department in field service, as the receiving 

 apparatus is portable and requires no ground or 

 antenna, and can be carried readily in a light 

 vehicle or even by a single observer, (e) to use by 

 the Coast Guard Service to receive distress sig- 

 nals and locate the direction, (/) for use by the 

 Bureau of Navigation to locate amateur or other 

 "stations that are not observing the radio regula- 

 tions or are otherwise interfering with radio- 

 transmission of the government or legitimate com- 

 mercial business. The Bureau of Standards is 

 prepared to demonstrate the apparatus to repre- 

 sentatives of the War and Navy Departments or 

 other interested departments at any time desired. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 NEWS 



An anonymous gift of $10,000 for surgical 

 research at Coliunbia University has been an- 

 nounced by the trustees. 



Morse Hall, erected in 1890 and containing 

 Cornell University's valuable chemical labora- 

 tories and scientific equipment, v^as destroyed 

 by fire on February 13. The loss is estimated 

 at $300,000, partly covered by insurance. The 

 cause of the fire has not been determined. 



The board of trustees of the Ohio State 

 University have ratified the proposal made by 

 President W. O. Thompson for the establish- 

 ment and maintenance of research professor- 

 ships. The plan provides that men of recog- 

 nized ability may be relieved from teaching to 

 devote their entire time to scientific research. 



Dr. Gorham Bacon has tendered his resigna- 

 tion as professor of otology in the College of 

 Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Univer- 

 sity, to take effect at the close of the present 

 academic year. 



To fill the vacancy caused by the resignation 

 of Dr. William J. Means, dean of the College 

 of Medicine of the Ohio State University, Dr. 

 Eugene P. McCampbeU, secretary of the state 

 board of health, has been appointed to the 



Dr. Waldemar Schleipp, associate professor 

 of zoology at Freiberg, has been called to the 

 chair of comparative anatomy at Wiirzbiirg, 

 vacant by the death of Th. Boveri. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 



SCHOOL AND THE LONG VACATION 



There is a widespread belief shared by those 

 working in the pedagogic field and those on 

 the outside that something is radically wrong 

 with our educational methods. The results 

 achieved in schools and colleges are in no way 

 proportionate to the native intelligence, th« 

 expenditure of effort in teaching and the stu- 

 pendous outlay of money represented by mate- 

 rial equipment and cost of maintenance. Em- 

 ployers of labor in stores, shops and factories 

 complain of the lack of training and efficiency 

 in the young men and women available for 

 hire, and college teachers of sound judgment 

 seem quite generally convinced that the aver- 

 age student at the end of his four-years' 

 course has not enough to show in cultural at- 

 tainments and useful knowledge. As I have 

 intimated, this disappointing result is not dua 

 to lack of ability on the part of the American 

 youth, who for quickness of perception and 

 capacity of learning are not outclassed by the 

 youth of any nation. The fault lies elsewhere. 

 It would carry me too far from my present 

 purpose were I to enter upon a discussion of 

 all the defects of our system. I intend deal- 

 ing with one only, a definite concrete condition 

 easily comprehended and fully remediable if 

 once educators are impressed with its signif- 

 icance. 



