^etten* ta Scientists Strike?
Quality Tower Packing in stoneware or porcelain Pictured above are two pop*r types of K n i g h t - W a r e T o w e r Packing; Berl Saddles and Raschig Rings. M a d e in Knight-Ware acid-proof stoneware a n d porcelain, these shapes and sizes provide a quality tower packing for nearly every chemical use. All Knight-Ware Tower Packing is made from selec ed, washed and de-aired clays. Each type will withstand severe acid service, has a high crushing strength and will not spall. T h e one-inch Raschig Rings, for example, have shown an average of 125 lbs. in break tests. Both Knight chemical stoneware and porcelain packings are dense but not glassy. W h e n desired, porous packings can be made of either material. Because of their large effective surface area, low resistance to flow and high loading capacity, the most popular allpurpose tower packing is K n i g h t - W a r e Berl Saddles. These are available in W , Vi'\ 3/4", 1" and Wi" sizes. Raschig Rings are available in * 4 " , V&'\ ! / 2 " , 5/s", *A'\ 1", 1V4", 1*4", 2" and 3" sizes.
MAURICE A. KNIGHT 505
1400
Kelly Ave., Alcron 6, Ohio
D E A R SIR: William Volk (C&EN, March 29) advocates that United States scientists be held responsible for the atomic b o m b — that, generally, they must take responsibility, along with credit, for what they do. His analogy is under severe strain, however, w h e n he compares the nuclear scientists with a missionary w h o gives savages incomprehensible drugs or weapons. Surely the A r m y Air Force was the "missionary" to the Japanese. T h e war leadership, to w h o m responsibility and credit for the b o m b belongs, was not scientists. The "atomic scientists" have shown unusually marked signs of awareness of their responsibility, such as it is, and less desire for credit than has been assumed by the armed forces administrative staffs, our diplomats, and even Congress. T h e scientists seek to influence the application of their invention—which is and always has been completely out of their control. Scientists, as citizens, are responsible as are the people in general for the proper application of modern techniques to social problems. If a special responsibility is proposed for scientists, however, then special power must be granted them. A t present scientists have, if anything, less civic power than most citizens. Their only technique for avoiding moral censure is to refuse their knowledge and services until they are assured that the applications thereof will be consistent with the public welfare. B y including biologic warfare as certainly contrary to the public weal, w e are faced with the alternative now being suggested by s o m e : either the guarantee of an end to war, or a strike by biological and physical scientists. WILLIAM F. H E W I T T , JR.
Washington, D. C. It
Should!
D E A R SIR:
T w o questions of importance to m e have arisen in C & E N Feb. 23. The staff report of thefiftiethanniversary of the Northeastern Section in honor of G . J. Essclen m a y be, in part, in error. In the story D r . Esselen refers to L y m a n Churchill N e w m a n . I wish to ask if this should read instead, L y m a n Churchill Newell, 18671933, Boston University 1904-. H e was the author of " T h e Teacher's V o w " (1915), J. Chem. Ed., 11, 100 (1934). T h e second question relates to the organization of the Cellulose Division b y D r . Essclen. I w a s under the impression that credit for the organization of this division was due to several m e n , some of w h o m can no longer speak for themselves. CHEMICAL
tee S*Ufo*> It is in respect for these that 1 ask permission to speak for one of them. E. V. WHITE Moscow, Idaho EDITOR'S N O T E : Prof. White is correct on both counts. O n the second. D r . Esselen was 6ret chairman of the Cellulose Division, but Harold Hibbert was chairman of the section which preceded the division during; 1920-22. D r . Esselen was secretary of the section.
National Certification of
Chemists
DEA.II SIR:
T h e article on National Certification of Chemists by Warren M . Sperry in the Feb. 9 issue appears to imply that such "certification" would be a most beneficial thing and would be quite analogous to the certificate of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Let it be perfectly clear that the certification of the National Board of Medical Examiners is good for one and only one purpose, i.e., to submit to a State Board of Medical Examiners in lieu of examination by said state board for licensure in said state. A n d be it remembered that this applies to examination only. T h e state board still m a y require the candidate for licensure to personally appear before the board, and m a n y state boards do just that. Finally, such a certificate is N O T acceptable in all states; but only in those w h o have so agreed with the national board. Aside from the above function, said certificate is merely another piece of paper for hanging o n the wall and aside from said function of permitting the candidate to obtain licensure without written examination, it has N O other legal function or standing. T h u s , in the absence of state licensure, such a "certificate" b y any national board of chemists would have exactly a zero legal status, as such is not nor would be a n official body in the legal sense. W o u l d not the burden of handling such an examination as Sperry describes be equal or greater than verification of recorded qualifications of chemists for licensure—which after all—in the pattern of law in this country—would necessarily be by states? Sperry, in c o m m o n with m a n y , finds the "grandfather" phase of licensure distasteful. Let it be clear that the "grandfather" phase of licensure has long and sound and proper foundation in any scheme of licensure in this country. T o try to avoid it or circumvent it or to argue against it, is avoiding, circumventing, or arguing against the Fifth A m e n d m e n t to the Constitution of these United States. Of course it must be admitted that m a n y do not limit their distaste for the provisions of the Constitution to the Fifth Amendment. Tn order that the record be complete, let A N D ENGINEERING
NEWS
us recall that any scheme of licensure is compelled to take in all and sundry under this "grandfather" clause in the beginning. However, there is nothing t o prevent t h e governing body from then examining charges brought against the worst charlatans a n d incompetents and if found guilty, from stripping said persons of licensure. L. F . PIERCE
about the new Kllioit process lor making oxygen, in which 1 have played t h e p a r t of a family doctor: I can hardly swallow t h e claimed value of oxygen for t h e bright a n nealing of steel. Perhaps you would like to correct t h e slip before w e all get ribbed. C. R. D O W N S
.Yew York, iV. Y.
Los Angeles, Calif. Bedside
Manner
DEAR SIR:
Regarding t h e story in C&EX,. April 5,
*?%O*H
I believe, in C'IIKMICAL, AND ENOINBKRIXG NEWS:
' I t stirs m e to m y deepest s t r a t a T o hear t h e chemist say this data. For t h e profession's honor, please Remember t h a t it should be these.' "Undoubtedly similar reaction is evoked by 'a phenomena.' T h e rest of t h e article, however, was excellent." T h e guilty reporter a n d proofreaders have been duly reprimanded—and in prose; not poetry. We have heard of aviators "blacking-out" momentarily. It is a new phenomenon to see staff reporters in a complete state of m e n t a l collapse. From here i n it will be " a phenomenon" and "these d a t a " or else!
Air
T h e New York edition of c 'Headlines in Chemistry," sponsored by the ACS News Service, h a s been elevated by Station W N Y C to a full 15-minute spot o n "Wednesday morning a t 10:15. Since September t h e program, sponsored by the ACS News Service, h a s been o n the air f o r 10 minutes on Saturday morning. VOLUME
2 6,
NO. 1 9 .
AMMONIUM SALTS Bactericides, Germicides, Fungicidos, Deodorants Dispersing and Wetting Agents RODALON* Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides CETAB* Cetyl trimethyl ammonium b r o m i d e
t6e Sd&6*4 ^e4&....
Advertisers, a n d frequently t l i c Reinhold Publishing Co., advertising representative for AC'S publications, conduct surveys to del ermine to what extent our p u b lications arc rend. They should ask u s — we can tell them. J u s t make a. mistake and t h e deluge of comments indicates the close observation practiced by our readers. Recently a news story contained the following: " . . ' . o n l y one instance o f a phenomena that could possibly be interpreted as reproduction by division. Statistically this data i n d i c a t e s . . . " Secretaries and typists are p u t t i n g in extra hours acknowledging hundreds of letters calling attention t o our misuse of the King's English, o r anyway his grammar. One writer comments i n the following vein: "Perhaps your staff reporter should be reminded of the poem which has appeared,
On the
EDITOR'S NOTE: The statement was in error. It should have read, *'The nitrogen from the Elliott process is so pure that it can also be used as a chemical raw material or for bright annealing in steel mills."
QUATERNARY
ETHYL CETAB* Cetyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium b r o m i d e
The program director of W N Y C reports that he is making more t i m e available a n d a t a more satisfactory period because listener response has d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t t h e broadcasts warrant t h e additional five minutes a n d a larger audience is available a t the new time. An evening billing m a y b e forthcoming sometime early in t h e summer. Scripts of "Headlines in C h e m i s t r y " are now distributed to all local sections of the AMERICAN
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY.
reference to t h e AMERICAN
E T H Y L DECAB* Octadecenyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium bromide * Trade Mark RBG. U. S. PAT. OWW.
RHODES CHEMICAL CORP.
More
t h a n 20 local sections a r e sponsoring weekly broadcasts over local stations. T h e intense interest in radio was demons t r a t e d by the large a t t e n d a n c e of p u b licity chairmen a t t h e breakfast sponsored b y t h e News Service during t h e recent national meeting in Chicago. Some kind of meeting record was made when the majority of those attending remained until 10:00 A.M. discussing various angles of r a d i o programs. Very shortly' C & E N will carry each week a list of sections sponsoring broadcasts, time, and station, so t h a t members of t h e Society a n d readers of t h i s publication will b e able to t u n e in a n d can invite neighbors and friends t o do likewise. Elsewhere in this issue is a brief news account of the broadcasts which contained a
OCTAB* Octadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride
Inorganic and Organic Chemicals Biological Stains Solutions
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY meeting in Chicago. T o those companies which gave time t o such references we are deeply grateful. We also wish to thank our breakfast speaker, Paul Niclson, assistant news director of Station W O N , t h e Chicago outlet of t h e M u t u a l Broadcasting System, for his down-toe a r t h , practical suggestions o n how t o init i a t e radio programs.
•
Chemical Indicators Test Papers Write for copy of our catalog
The C O L E M A N & B E L L Co. Manufacturing Chemists, Norwood, O., U.S.A.
COLEMAN & BELL MAY
10, 1 9 4 8
1401
