June, 1919
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
I desire to inform you that the suggestion meets with the approval of the Superintendent of the Naval Academy and those having immediate charge of the instruction in chemistry at the Academy. The Superintendent would be delighted to cooperate with you in obtaining the lectures necessary to carry out your sugActing Secretary of the geStiOnS.--FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, Navy. The idea of giving five or six general lectures, the first one at Annapolis, seems to me an excellent one, along the lines of making the importance and sphere of chemistry understood, and thus add to their interest and comprehension of the subject. -RALPH EARLE,Rear Admiral, United States Navy, Chief of Bureau of Ordnance. The correspondence will be placed in t h e hands of President Nichols on his return from his western trip. Meanwhile i t is safe t o say t h a t several members of t h e SOCIETYhave delightful treats in store, for t h e cordial hospitality of both t h e Military and t h e Naval Academies is proverbial. The seed planted through these lectures will bear abundant fruit. CHANNEL BUOYS
Professor J . N. Swan, of the University of Mississippi, writes us, under date of May 9, 1919: In the editorial “Rocks Ahead!” you report that a prominent member said he had been told by three professors representing state universities that they would buy from Kahlbaum as soon as trade relations were reestablished. This statement brings all of us in state universities under suspicion. In justice to the real Americans among us I believe these men and institutions should be named. I know of no reason why all of us in state universities should thus be brought under suspicion because some states tolerate 23 per cent Americans. In the name of one state institution whose chemical department is IOO per cent American, I ask that the institutions containing such men in the chemical departments be named so that the really loyal people shall not be under suspicion. We would like t o conform t o Professor Swan’s very reasonable request, b u t we cannot for t h e simple reason t h a t t h e best we could get out of our informant at t h e time t h e statement was made was a promise t o give t h e names if t h e orders with Kahlhaum were placed. Frankly, we don’t believe t h e names will ever be furnished, for we are confident t h a t more mature consideration of t h e many arguments against t h e placing of foreign orders will lead t o an abandonment of t h e regrettable intention. While writing t h e editorial, we realized t h a t i t was hardly a square deal t o many patriotic and far-sighted men. W h a t was t o be done? g e e p quiet? Never! T h e matter was too far-ieaching in its importance. After all, t h e injustice done is not very great. And certain i t is t h a t all honor is due t h e many who had already determined voluntarily t o forego t h e dutyfree privilege allowed by law, in order t o aid t h e consummation of American independence and t o make impossible among our students t h a t opportunity for insidious propaganda which the Council, by unanimous vote, declared importations from Germany had offered. T o those who may be sorely perplexed as t o how t o make ends meet under t h e increased cost of strictly home supplies t h e following incident may be of interest. A professor of chemistry in a well-known institution recently made up his customary estimates for t h e next year on a basis of American products,
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through and through. I n his report he pointed out unhesitatingly t h e increased cost, explained thoroughly its significance from all points of view, and promptly received t h e full amount of t h e appropriation asked. There is still another party a t interest in t h e question-the student. Several times t h e statement has been made t h a t duty-free importation i s necessary in order not t o tax too severely t h e chemistry students. Pshaw! We don’t believe these men know their students. They are of t h e same blood as t h e men who sleep beneath t h e soil of France. They are t o be the leaders of t h e future. Are we not willing t o give them the opportunity t o do their share in t h e effort t o gain independence; t o carry into life t h a t spirit of self-reliance which is t h e real American spirit? If there is doubt about t h e students’ attitude, p u t the matter t o a test. Give them every side of the question, t h e increased cost t o them on t h e one hand-the price of the saving on t h e other: t h e price in dependence, in opportunity for propaganda, in t h e destruction of plants which have been established during t h e war period t o supply our needs. Can there be a doubt as t o t h e character of t h e vote which any body of our students would register, following a vigorous presentation of this matter? THE CENSUS OF CHEMICAL IMPORTS
Congratulations t o t h e Department of Commerce, its Bureau of Foreign a n d Domestic Commerce, Dr. E. R. Pickrell, and Dr. B. C. Hesse, upon t h e appearance on May 26, 1919, of Miscellaneous Series No. 82, entitled, “Chemicals and Allied Products Used in t h e United States, Imports by Quantities, Values, and Countries of Origin during t h e Fiscal Year 1913I914 and Statistics of Domestic Production.” As is shown on its cover, t h e book has been prepared in collaboration with t h e AMERICAN CHEMICALSOCIETY. I n this volume and t h a t of t h e Norton Dyestuff Census, Special Agents’ Series No. 1 2 1 , there has been covered t h e entire chemical field of t h e pre-war year I9 13-1914. A brief introduction gives t h e history of the movement, t h e scope of t h e publication, sources of information, definition of terms, and classification of products. Then follows a summary of imports in general classes, and a comparison of imports, domestic produ.ction, and exports. These preliminary matters lead t o t h e main body of t h e work, which consists of an itemized list of all material by quantity and b y value, wherever this value exceeds $100. Of particular interest is t h e final column of this statistical material, showing t h e per cent of each article as t o country of origin. Items amounting t o less t h a n $100 are brought together in a separate section. The volume concludes with a n interesting appendix on t h e domestic manufacture of chemicals, and a most valuable index which enables the quick finding of any article of interest. I t is interesting t o note t h a t commercial names are used in t h e classification, followed in many cases by t h e scientific name or by a very brief description