•
GOVERNMENT
W . Albert Noyés, Jr. ( l e f t ) , receives Gibbs m e d a l froin ACS president Roger J . Williams at Chicago Section meeting
Foreign Policy in Science Noyes, Gibbs medalist, calls for well-defined scientific policy in nation's foreign affairs X HERE must b e a United States foreign policy in science. And we m u s t distinguish clearly between using expert scientific knowledge to aid b r o a d foreign policy decisions and developing a foreign policy on matters which affect mainly science a n d scientists, says W . Albert Noyes, Jr., this year's winner of t h e Chicago Section's Willard Gibbs medal. Before a meeting of the Chicago Section, Noyes sketched three wide categories into which a scientific foreign policy falls: • A high level, broad policy of the type which intermingles with international politics. • An intermediate level, dealing with technical assistance via the U N specialized agencies, and with the technical aspects of military problems.
• A more limited level which deals with problems mainly of interest to scientists themselves. ^ Science Diplomats
Needed.
At
each level, says Noyes, there is a need for scientists versed in diplomacy who are familiar with a n d sympathetic towards other p e o p l e s a n d other cultures, and who are willing to take the time to represent this country at international meetings a n d on foreign missions. Generally, says Noyes, scientists and engineers are called upon for advice concerning the military strength of this country as well as that of potential enemies. In this sense, science plays an important p a r t in foreign policy decisions. And outside of t h e military sphere, he notes, raising the standards of living in areas of the world w h e r e
Communist penetration is a danger also depends u p o n science. But efforts to p u t science in a key position in the D e p a r t m e n t of State have led to few concrete results. Right now, there is no office properly situated to give advice in scientific matters, although federal agencies like t h e N a tional Science Foundation a n d t h e Central Intelligence Agency play important roles. T o ensure the proper influence of science in crucial decisions, Noyes says, there must b e a well-qualified person either in t h e cabinet or in die President's immediate official family. This person m u s t b e thoroughly trained as a scientist a n d h a v e extensive research experience. But it is also essential t h a t he b e a m a n of sound j u d g m e n t a n d great b r e a d t h who can see the bearing that science and technology have on t h e social, economic, a n d political scene. But even this m u c h would not b e enough, h e claims. Real policy is often m a d e well down in the ranks. This means that somehow an appreciation and an understanding of science must permeate all levels of the Government. • Science for All P e o p l e . O n e of the principle objectives of a foreign policy in science must b e the education of all peoples about science. In underdeveloped areas, t h e problem is not solely one of building research l a b oratories a n d of studying agriculture, sanitation, a n d hygiene. A m o r e important factor, says Noyes, is t h e p r o b lem of teaching t h e most elementary philosophy of science to the adults. Peoples must be m a d e to see t h a t conditions can b e improved. T h e r e is little disagreement about our objectives, Noyes says, a n d t h e r e is a general desire to see all people well-fed a n d in good health. B u t t h e r e is less general agreement as t o h o w to proceed, or even w h e t h e r we desire to see the entire world industrialized. So, Noyes feels, our scientific foreign policy should resemble our domestic policy in science over the last century. Our own nation could not h a v e developed the way it did if people had failed to see the benefits to be derived from the scientific approach. W e c a n bring science a n d its benefits to all peoples through U N E S C O and other U N agencies, and b y way of our own technical assistance program—and, he notes, the United States is not the only one with such a program. Russia is also active in this field. In matters dealing chiefly with science, Noyes says w e can work through the International Council of Scientific Unions which consists of 13 m e m b e r unions. As chemists, our primary interest is in the International Union of Pure a n d Applied Chemistry a n d in establishing a foreign policy relative to it. JUNE
3.
1957
C&EN
35
GOVERNMENT
W. Albert Noyes, Jr. U O N of a famous father, Gibbs medalist W. Albert Noyes, Jr., has followed in his father's footsteps in many ways. In 1919, his father was awarded the Gibbs medal. His fadier was president of the ACS in 1920; Noyes was president in 1947. And, like his father, Noyes is an editor. Since 1950, Noyes has been editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and in 1952 he also became editor of the journal of Physical Chemistry. But Noyes has been in an editor's chair since the late twenties. From 1929 to 1938 he was an assistant editor of Chemical Abstracts, and for 10 years, beginning in 1939, h e was editor of Chemical Reviews. W h a t philosophy guides Noyes as he wields the editorial blue pencil? For JACS he picks articles which are not too narrow in scope— of interest to more than just a few readers. Reason: JACS readers include many kinds of workers in pure chemistry. On t h e other hand, JPC is a specialized journal, and Noyes picks articles that contain sound physical chemistry. • International Flavor. Noyes, Charles Frederick Houghton Professor of Chemistry and acting dean of the college of arts and science
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C&EN
METALS
JUNE
SINCE* 187$/f;
3.
1957
I :
'
Despite a tremendous increase in supply, there is still a serious shortage of nickel. This is the conclusion drawn by the Senate Preparedness Subcom mittee in a report on nickel. Proposed construction of new nickel producing and refining plants indicates that the shortage may be relieved by 1959 or 1960, t h e subcommittee says, but this does not solve today's problems. Heavy demand for nickel in defense industries plus shipments t o stockpile have left civilian industry short of the metal. There is plenty of nickel for defense industry, the committee says, but even diversion of shipments to stockpile has not relieved the civilian shortage. In 1955 the Office of De fense Mobilization diverted 24 million pounds of nickel from stockpile; in 1956 more than 74 million pounds were diverted. Defense industries are, assured of ample nickel supplies by the "DO rat ing system." This requires defense-
at the University of Rochester, was born in T e r r e Haute, Ind., in 1898. After receiving the Β A . degree from Grinnell College in 1919, Noyes received the D.Sc. from the University of Paris in 1920. In 1938 he came to Rochester as pro fessor of physical chemistry. Noyes* interest in world-wide chemistry goes back a long way. H e is active in 1UPAC, serving as vice president from 1947 to 1951, and as a delegate to many con ferences. H e is now a member of IUPAC's executive committee. From 1952 to 1955 he was treasurer of ICSU. An early supporter of U N E S C O , Noyes participated in the London meeting at which plans for U N E S C O were drafted? H e was adviser t o the U. S. delegation at the first session of the U N E S C O General Conference in Paris in 1947. A t various times, Noyes has been adviser to the U. S. delega tion, an alternate delegate, and a full mein"ber of the U. S. National Commission for UNESCO. A leader in research in the fields of photochemistry and reaction kinetics, Noyes lias published more than 10O articles in ACS journals. H e is coauthor of the ACS mono graph "Photochemistry of Gases."
rated orders to get preference over unrated orders. But, under this system the committee finds a wide discrepancy between actual nickel consumption in defense industry a n d ODM estimates. This is responsible to a great extent for the seriousness of the current shortage, the committee says. For example, in mid-1956 defense consumption was 60r/c more than ODM estimates. ODM officials told the committee that the discrepancies occurred because O D M was using out of date factors in estimating requirements. This situa tion, O D M said, has been corrected. Here are some of the things the com mittee thinks should be done to help relieve t h e nickel shortage. • O D M should review the workings of the defense order system. • The Defense Department should reduce nickel specifications in military items to the minimum. • O D M should review the stockpile objective and expansion program after estimates of peacetime and mobilization defense requirements are redetermined.
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SUBJECT:
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Postscripts
ρ Antibiotics m a k e r s wall have to give the Federal T r a d e Commission more figures on development costs, production costs, and pricing poli cies so F T C can complete its eco nomic survey of t h e antibiotics in dustry (C&EN, March 4, page 4 4 ) . N e w questionnaires, stemming from conferences between F T C and in dustry, must be returned by July 1. D r u g makers should have n o trouble meeting the deadline, says FTC. The new questionnaire will delay completion of F T C ' s survey of t h e antibiotics industry, b u t F T C officials think t h e report will be completed some time in August. • New advisory committee on community air pollution has just been formed by t h e U . S. Public Health Service. First meeting of the 12-member committee will b e held in Washington, D . C. June 3 . Purpose: to review t h e air pollu tion control program set up by P H S under t h e 1955 Pollution Control Act and to recommend future ac tion. The P H S program so far has been confined to research and tech nical assistance t o states and com munities trying t o cope with air pollution problems. • Higher f e e s for certifying purity and potency of five antibiotics and their dosage forms will b e charged by the F o o d and D r u g Administra tion. N e w rates, to go into effect July 1, apply to penicillin, strepto mycin, chlorotetracycline, chlor amphenicol, a n d bacitracin, a n d will b e a b o u t 1 0 % higher. Under the law, t h e certification program must be self-supporting; F D A esti mates that fees in fiscal 1957 will be about $96,000 less than actual costs of certification. Until this year, cost increases were absorbed by reducing refunds, F D A says; re funds in 1956 were only 3 % of total fees. • Export licenses for shipping nonstrategic commodities t o Eastern Europe reached t h e highest level in eight years during the first quar ter of 1957 according to the Com merce Department. Actual exports will probably b e less than half the $16.4 million called for b y the licenses. Among t h e products des tined for t h e Soviet bloc a r e p e troleum coke, synthetic yarns, acetaldol, niacin, and citric acid.
