NOVEMBEB 5, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



631 



Philosopliy in that particular brancli of sci- 

 ence. 



Mind you, it would be folly to throw away 

 these tools so well fitted for special purposes; 

 yet it is no more the part of wisdom to put 

 them to every-day uses. The task for the scien- 

 tist is to decide when to use his technical terms 

 and when to talk United States. Of course, any 

 writer's first duty is to be intelligible. Choice 

 of language thus resolves itself largely into 

 an understanding of the audience. If a scien- 

 tific investigator desires to announce his dis- 

 covery to his fellow workers, he does well to use 

 those exact terms that carry the same shade of 

 meaning the world over and indeed may have 

 the same form in several languages; if, on the 

 other hand, his results have immediate value 

 for the mine operator or the prospector, the 

 geologist does not and can not accomplish his 

 purpose unless he writes in plain language, 

 using words possibly less exact but surely more 

 understandable. 



It may be that I have stated the case too 

 simply, so that this matter of plain writing 

 may seem altogether easy, yet making out the 

 prescription is always much easier than eilect- 

 ing the cure. Indeed, I suspect the difficulty 

 is largely an internal trouble with the author, 

 so deep-seated that my simple remedy of fitting 

 the language to the reader does not reach it. 



Sir Clifford Allbutt in his " Notes on the 

 Composition of Scientific Papers " lays down 

 the plain rule : " Take pains, therefore, with 

 yourself first, then with your reader." His 

 idea that clear thinking must be the first step 

 to plain writing of course deserves our en- 

 dorsement, based upon experience. How com- 

 mon is the sad discovery that a piece of ob- 

 scure writing is simply the product of round- 

 about reasoning or twisted thinking. Printer's 

 ink, in whatever amount used, unfortunately 

 possesses no magic properties as a reagent for 

 clarifying muddy thoughts. Yet no doubt it 

 sometimes happens that some of us try to cover 

 up with long words our uncertainty in think- 

 ing. So in preaching reform in scientific 

 publications, those of us who are doing the 

 work must realize that plain thinking comes 

 first. There's the rub ! 



It is therefore not a coincidence that some of 

 the deepest thinkers in geological science have 

 also possessed a literary style conspicuous for 

 clarity of expression. On the other hand, some 

 authors whose English needs the most editing 

 are equally careless in the quotation of facts 

 determined by others and indeed in the state- 

 ment of their own observations. I mention 

 this simply to show that I am strong in my 

 belief that plain writing is not something be- 

 neath the plane of endeavor of the scientific 

 investigator — indeed, it is something so hard 

 to attain that the most of us need to aim high, 

 to raise our standards of scientific thinking. 

 The use of common words is worthy of any 

 writer if his purpose is to transmit thought. 



The discussion of plain writing at this time 

 is not academic, because my real purpose is to 

 take this opportunity to announce to you the 

 policy of the United States Geological Survey 

 on this subject. Our explorations, surveys and 

 investigations are in the public interest only 

 as results are made public. This policy is as 

 old as the Geological Survey itself, but several 

 things have given a special impetus to the 

 development of this policy. Beginning in 

 August a year ago, a large volume of inquiries 

 from producer and consumer of minerals came 

 pouring into our office, and as never before the 

 Geological Survey became a kind of " central " 

 to the mineral industry. This opportunity for 

 a larger service to the public not only resulted 

 in gratifying relations with a large number of 

 correspondents, but the rendering of such 

 service has proved instructive to the public 

 servants charged with the duty. Many of us 

 on the Survey staff have acquired a keener 

 realization of the need not only of giving the 

 public the facts, but also of making those facts 

 intelligible and useful to the citizen who may 

 lack professional training in geology or engi- 

 neering. 



Another line of this larger service has been 

 the issue of four guidebooks to this great 

 western country, in which the purpose has been 

 to inform the traveler concerning the resources- 

 of this part of our country as well as to unfold 

 to him in attractive form its fascinating geol- 

 ogy. The effort to meet the public need of' 



