336
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 C H E M I S T R Y
Vol. 9, No. 4
said t h a t Dr. Meyer h a d referred him t o me as Editor serious consideration of every member of t h e Society of t h e paper in which t h e article was t o appear. Mr. a n d especially of t h e members of t h e Council who will Russell asked me for a copy of this article out of assemble soon at Kansas City for t h e Spring Meetwhich t o make a n article for the Evening Mail as a ing. follow-up t o t h e first Mail article. He said he had T h e remarkable growth in membership in recent told Dr. Meyer he would go t o me for a copy of t h e years has enabled t h e Society t o do things which have article a n d use i t in lieu of t h e interview which Dr. excited t h e admiration of t h e chemical world. Its Meyer h a d declined. He said Dr. Meyer approved continuous a n d its present accelerated growth offer this idea. I declined t o give Mr. Russell a copy of marked possibilities of still greater achievements in this article as t h e galley proof of Prof. Smith’s article t h e future. This great numerical strength, however, h a d not yet been sent t o him. contains within itself grave possibilities of danger This article by Prof. Smith, about which Dr. through discord and consequent disruption, unless Meyer was so well posted. is t h e only communica- statesman-like provision be made for t h e logical a n d tion I have received on this subject. T o m y orderly expression of t h e convictions of members mind all of this establishes with reasonable certainty on matters in which they, as experts, have t h e right a Smith-Meyer-Badische connection and all t h a t goes a n d t h e d u t y t o be heard. with it. Things have moved rapidly in this world during t h e Only one thing more-all of t h e rest of us have been past three years, necessitating new viewpoints and new fighting t o build u p a n American dyestuff industry, adjustments. The nation has suddenly awakened to not simply as a n economic necessity, b u t because we t h e fundamental importance of t h e work of its chemists know how closely related this industry is t o t h e and now holds t h e m in higher regard t h a n ever before. production of high explosives for our army and I n return for this national recognition we must assume navy a national obligation, namely, a national viewpoint. For Meanwhile, during t h e progress of t h e details recorded t h e formulation a n d expression of opinions on national in this reply, our country has been drawn daily nearer problems, t h e membership is too bulky; even t h e Council and nearer into war with Germany, and even to-day has grown too large, while t h e Directors are charged when most of us hold strongly t h e conviction rather with t h e financial administration of t h e t h a t we are already a t war with Germany, Prof. Smith Society. telephoned a t noon t o t h e office of THIS J O U R X A L t o Furthermore, quick decision is often demanded. learn whether his communication would be published For these reasons a small group of experienced men is in t h e April issue a n d was seemingly gratified t o be required whose judgment can be promptly gatheredassured t h a t i t would. a group somewhat continuous yet changing in its personnel a n d thoroughly representative of t h e Society. Again I say, AMERICAFOR AMERICANS! CHAS. H. H E R T Y . I n its efforts such a group should have t h e hearty inM u c h 22, 1917 dorsement of t h e members or be abolished. Dr. Hesse seems t o have had all such points in mind in working out t h e proposal which he has submitted. NO TARIFF COMMISSIONER FOR CHEMISTRY So often during t h e past two eventful years, in t h e T h e announcement of t h e personnel of t h e Tariff capacity of President of t h e Society, we have felt t h e Commission brought with it keen regret t h a t President need of such a body as t h e proposed Board of Control of Wilson h a d not been sufficiently impressed b y t h e National Policies. Without i t we did t h e best we could in many recommendations a n d arguments forwarded him t h e many exigencies which arose, sometimes assuming t o lead him t o appoint Mr. Ellwood Hendrick as a authority t o speak when we really doubted t h e possesmember of t h a t body. sion of such authority. Many times, when occasion It must be gratifying, however, t o Mr. Hendrick demanded action, we took t h e risk of rebuke, trusting t o know t h a t while he h a d from t h e outset solely t o t h e good-will of fellow members a n d their declined t o enter into any active canvass for ap- confidence in our honesty of purpose. Fortunately pointment, nevertheless he received t h e unanimous we met with no rebukes, b u t such situations are endorsement of all t h e organizations of chemists dangerous for t h e Society, as well as somewhat ema n d of those allied organizations whose needs could be barrassing t o its executive head. thoroughly understood a n d comprehended only by one There is also the constant danger of t h e action of a having a thorough grasp also of t h e chemical situLocal Section being misinterpreted as t h e action of t h e ation and t h e interlacing character of all of these inparent organization. On two occasions last year i t dustries. was necessary for us officially t o call attention t o t h e fact t h a t t h e recommendations regarding tariffs on A TIMELY PROPOSAL dyestuffs were not those of t h e American Chemical We are very glad t o feature in this issue t h e address Society, b u t were those of t h e New York Section of delivered b y Dr. B. C. Hesse before t h e Detroit Section t h e Society, a n d t h a t consequently such use of t h e on t h e subject of “The American Chemical Society name of t h e Society was not authorized. It is not a t all difficult t o conceive a case a n d t h e Nation.” I n this address Dr. Hesse has p u t forward a constructive suggestion which deserves t h e where two Local Sections in different parts of t h e
