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NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
fessor S. A. Tucker from the War Industries Board a vacancy has been created 
in the Executive Committee of the Division which has not yet been filled. 
Activities of the Sub-Committees. The following sub-committees of the Di- 
vision have been especially active: (1) The Committee on Synthetic Drugs; 
(2) The Committee on Ceramic Chemistry; (3) The Committee on Glue and 
Other Colloids. 
The Committee on Synthetic Drugs has been in close cooperation with the 
Federal Trade Commission, has initiated several investigations dealing with 
the manufacture of special drugs, and has arranged to have a number of these 
drugs recently unobtainable manufactured by American firms. 
The Committee on Ceramic Chemistry is engaged in the preparation of two 
manuscripts dealing respectively with (a) the formation of an organization for 
cooperative research in the subject of refractory materials, and (b) the forma- 
tion of a similar organization for the investigation of the washing, blending, 
and preparation of clays. Under the auspices of this committee a conference 
was held in Pittsburgh in June, and an organization formed for undertaking a 
cooperative survey of the ceramic raw materials of the country. This co- 
operative survey has been inaugurated and is being carried out under the direc- 
tion of the American Association of State Geologists. 
The Committee on Glue and Other Colloids has taken up the question of the 
standardization of Government specifications for glue. 
The Sub-Committee on the Chemistry of Soils and Fertilizers has been dis- 
charged and a new fertilizer committee organized under the Division of Agri- 
culture, but with representatives from both divisions, has been constituted with 
the following personnel : Messrs. Allen, Alway, Avery, Kellerman, Lippman, 
Livingston, and Woods, Chairman. 
University Research on War Problems. The work of collecting and assigning 
war problems to university laboratories for investigation is proceeding satis- 
factorily. The Vice-Chairman has established relations with the Chemical 
Warfare Service, the Surgeon General's Department, the War Industries' 
Board, the Nitrate Committee, the Explosives Committee, and the United 
States Signal Corps, for the purpose of securing such problems. Thus far, 25 
problems have been formulated and 11 have been assigned. 
The Training of Chemists for Government Service. At the request of the War 
Department's Committee on Education and Special Training the Vice-Chair- 
man has undertaken to collect data concerning the numbers of chemists re- 
quired for Government service, together with data concerning any special 
training which such chemists should have to fit them for Government work. 
On the basis of these data recommendations concerning any desirable modifica- 
tions in or additions to collegiate courses in chemistry will be formulated and 
transmitted to the colleges and universities. 
International Cooperation in the Publication of Chemical Abstracts. On the 
initiative of the Division a conference was held recently in Washington and 
plans were formulated for the presentation to the English Chemical Societies 
