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EDITORIALS THE NICHOLSHESSE DINNER The chemists of America, in whose behalf Dr. William H. Nichols, as president, a n d Dr. Bernhard C. Hesse, as secretary, assumed the burden of organizing and administering the affairs of the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, will celebrate the successful completion of this gigantic undertaking by a Nichols-Hesse dinner. Dr. Edward W. Morley, the faithful honorary president of the Congress. mill preside a t the function which will include not only a dinner but the presentation t o the guests of testimonials of regard and appreciation. The committee, made up of representatives of the American Chemical Society, American Electrochemical Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Chemists’ Club, American Sections of the Society of Chemical Industry and the Kew York Section of the Verein Deutscher Chemiker, will make this a memorable event as the closing chapter of the Eighth Congress. I t is distinctly a chemists’ function and will, therefore, be given a t the Chemists’ Club. The date selected is ,4pril 19th, and tickets may be obtained from Dr. L. H . Baekeland, of Yonkers, Xew York. The Eighth Congress was the most important event in the history of Applied Chemistry in America. Our professional progress and our industries mere opened t o the critical inspection of picked representatives from all important foreign countries. The assumption of the responsibilities for the organization and administration of this great task took courage and foresight, and involved a most extraordinary amount of hard work and anxiety, so t h a t its successful completion calls for the admiring gratitude of every American chemist. What was done was undertaken solely in the interest of Applied Chemistry and its followers and without regard to society or business affiliations. This celebration, therefore, becomes not a matter of this organization or that, but a sincere tribute of appreciation from American chemists in general to the men who assumed and carried our burden so successfully. Many willing chemists will not be able t o come to the dinner, but will have to rely on letters and telegrams to express their appreciation. Whatever method may be dictated by conditions, sincere and cordial admiration and applause will be general among American Chemists for the magnificent Nichols-Hesse team-work. THE RESEARCH BUREAU O F THE CHEMISTS’ CLUB
On February 22nd the Library Committee of the Chemists’ Club announced the organization of a Research Bureau. The Chemists’ Club Library has the largest collection of chemical literature in America. Donations by Charles F. Chandler, Morris Loeb, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical
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Industry, J . W. Mallet, Herman Frasch and many others have made i t possible to assemble complete up-to-date editions of practically all the important scientific and technical chemical publications, both American and foreign. Notable examples of unusually valuable possessions are the following : American Chemical Journal, 1879 to date. American Journal of Scien’ce, 1819 t o date. Analyst, 1877 t o date. Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft, 1868 to date. Bulletin de la Soci6tC Chimique, 1861 t o date. Bureau of Chemistry Bulletins, 1-160, 1882 to date. Canadian Patent Office Record, 1890 t o date. Chemical Yews, 1867 t o date. Chemiker Zeitung, 1877 t o date. Comptes Rendus, 183j to date. Encyclopedie Chirnique-Frerny’s, complete. Experiment Station Bulletins 1-248, 1889 t o date. Experiment Station Record, 1889 to date. Gazzetta chimica italiana, 1871 to date. Illustrated Official Journal (British Patents), I 900 to date. International Sugar Journal and its predecessor, Sugar Cane, 1872 to date. Journal fur praktische Chemie, 1828 to date. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1879 to date. Journal of the Association of Engineering Societies, 1881 to date. Journal of the Chemical Society, London, Abstracts and Transactions, 1849 t o date. Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, 1882 to date. Liebig’s Jahresberichte, 1847 t o date. Pharmaceutical Journal, 1841 t o date. Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 1857 to date. Repertorium der Technischen Journal Literature, 1829 t o date. School of Mines Quarterly. 1879 to date. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, 1871 to date. U. S. Patent Office Gazette, 1790 to date. Wagner’s Jahresberichte, 18j5 .to date. Zeitschrift fur analytische Chemie,. 1862 t o date. Zeitschrift fur angewandte Chemie, 1887 to date. Zeitschrift fur anorganische Chemie, 1889 to date. Zeitschrift fur Untersuchung der Nahrungs und Genussmittel and its predecessor, 1881 t o date. When the Morris Loeb Library has been entirely moved in, the Chemisches Zentralblatt, 1830 t o date, and Liebig’s Annalen complete, 1826 t o date, will be added to the above list as well as all of the important English, French and German publications on pureIy theoretical and physical chemistry. The Charles Frederick Chandler Library, the most complete private technical library in the United States is only partly installed.
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styles in matters of thought transmission sooner o r later work their theme around t o “Efficiency” o r “Cooperation.” Men trying t o accomplish something worth while often find the conviction gaining on them t h a t both of these words are “happy thoughts” b u t are a long way from tangible realities. People are daill- becoming more reluctant to undertake public work, not because they are unwilling t o sacrifice their time, ability and money for the good of others, b u t because they are met at the outset with a condition which for x a n t of a better term vie shall call “negative cooperation.” Men of energy and ability are often elevated t o positions of honor and trust and are pelted by their friends with bouquets only t o find t h a t the bouquets are sooner or later displaced b y bricks. Others hesitate to accept political responsibility because they know t h a t the blatant unreasoning criticism of the yellom- press is inevitable. Why do we not practice cooperation as well as preach i t ? Why do we select a most able mechanic t o erect a structure of great importance to us and then give him a kit of tools containing saws, hammers and chisels made of rubber? Is it not enough t o ride on the wagon me have delegated one of our fellow workers t o draw for us without letting our own feet drag? This issue of the Journal contains the final report of t h e Secretary of the Eighth International Congress and also a n address b y Dr. Hesse, drawing some striking lessons and offering suggestions which should be of inestimable value t o future organizations. Some vivid examples of negative cooperation are disclosed in these records. Early in May, 1912,definite arrangements between the officers of the Congress and the printers were completed, in which i t was provided t h a t all copy received before July 16th should be made up into 4000 sets of 24 volumes, or a total of 96,000 volumes, and delivered a t the Columbia University Gymnasium before the Congress opened. The printers fully lived up t o t h a t agreement. They further agreed t o give the subsequent printed matter of the Congress the right of way over everything else in their office (provided copy was completely delivered b y the close of September) and to have all such matter printed and bound b y Sovember I j , 1912. I t became perfectly clear in September t h a t the necessary cooperation on the part of lecturers, participants in discussions and contributing authors for complete delivery of copy according t o agreement, would not be forthcoming. Therefore, the right-of-way arrangement with the printer had t o be cancelled in order t o avoid unnecessary financial loss. Xot until March I I , 1913,was it possible t o get from the authors all of the copy of what is now Volumes 2 5 , 2 6 , 2 7 and 28-this in spite of repeated and most urgent letters from the Secretary asking for t h a t material. The printer was then under contract with others and the Congress matter had t o take its place in line. with consequent additional delay. Even now many of those whose formal remarks or other communications should be emNEGATIVE COOPERATION bodied in these volumes are not represented. H a d these Speakers who pretend t o keep up with the latest volumes been sent t o press in September with only
Information on any chemical subject t h a t has been investigated and p u t into print c m now be supplied a t reasonable cost t o busy professional men, technical publications, lau-yers, patent attorneys, manufacturers a n d teachers. On short notice articles mdl be copied, translations made, bibliographies prepared and searches of chemical or patent literature carried on, both in the Chemists’ Club Library a n d in t h e principal libraries of New York City. The xorld’s work in chemistry is thus made available t o all. While the Chemists’ Club Library is making every effort t o obtain all the most valuable chemical textbooks and treatises and possesses a great many of them, i t realizes t h a t its greatest service t o chemical progress is t o be rendered b y means of the scientific and technical journals t h a t contain original articles and reports. Every chemist owns the best books on his particular branch of the subject b u t it is absolutely impossible for him t o possess complete editions of t h e multitude of valuable journals now being printed or t o obtain the back numbers he needs when he needs them. At the same time the various branches of chemistry are so intimately connected, interwoven and dependent upon each other t h a t in research of a n y sort it is practically always necessary t o cover the whole field in order t o find out what has been done as well as t o prevent duplication of work. Only- such facilities as are now offered b y the Research Bureau of the Chemists’ Club can supply the needs of modern chemical investigation and progress. I n addition t o the Research Bureau, Club members, resident and non-resident. have access t o the Circulating Library, on payment of handling charges. Eight thousand duplicates of books, pamphlets, reprints, etc., are available for study and use b y any member in the reach of mail or express service. Many triplicates are also on hand to be exchanged for desirable literature or sold t o those who need them for the completion of personal files. I n return for the many advantages now offered by t h e Chemists’ Club, every chemist in America owes it his most hearty support. Any books, reprints, or journals in odd numbers, volumes or broken sets can be used b y i t with unusual and often surprising results. Odd, old volumes a n d particular editions are of the utmost importance in patent and research work, as well as for completing sets t h a t are in many cases useless if incomplete. The Chemists’ Club believes in the spread of chemical knowledge and understanding. It knows t h a t modern chemistry can no longer depend upon accidental discoveries for progress. It offers ample material for intelligent and productive research. May the American Chemists use abundantly these new resources and justify the patience and faith of those who have labored so long t o make possible this remarkable expansion of the work of the Chemists’ Club !
