CENEAR 50 (35) 1-32 (1972)
Chemical and Engineering News 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
Editorial
Editor: PATRICK P. McCURDY Managing Editor: Melvin J. Josephs Assistant Managing Editors: Michael Heylin, James H. Krieger, Brendan F. Somerville Senior Editors: Earl V. Anderson (New York), David M. Kiefer (Washington) Senior Associate Editors: Howard J. Sanders, Donald J. Soisspn Staff Writer: Joseph Haggin Assistant Editors: Kathryn Campbell, Ernest L. Carpenter, Madeleine Polinger Jacobs, Richard J. Seltzer Editing Services: Joyce A. Richards (Head) Editorial Reference: Barbara A. Gallagher Production Manager: Bacil Guiley Associate Production Manager: Leroy Corcoran Art Director: Norman W. Favin Art/Production: Judy Bitting, Dawn Leland, Joe Phillips NEWS BUREAUS: New York: William F. Fallwell (Head). Chicago: Ward Worthy (Assistant Editor). Houston: Bruce F. Greek (Head). San Francisco: Thomas T. Bradshaw (Assistant Editor). Washington: Fred H. Zerkel (Head), Thomas E. Feare (Assistant Editor) FOREIGN BUREAUS: London: Dermot A. O'Sullivan (Head). Tokyo: Michael K. McAbee (Head) ADVISORY. BOARD: Aaron M. Altschul, Alfred E. Brown, Norman Coggeshall, Marcia Coleman, Herbert S. Gutowsky, Anna J. Harrison, James D. Idol, Jr., Norman Kharasch, Gerald D. Laubach, Lawrence Lessing, Norman J. Lewis, Paul Oreffice, Michael N. Papadopoulos, Rustum Roy, Herbert L. Toor
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The silencers An officer of one of our local sections under instructions from that section recently wrote in to express "concern and dissatisfaction with the editorial philosophy of the editor. . . . " The writer went on to say that this displeasure seemed to stem from a "certain negative attitude displayed in Mr. McCurdy's editorials. " The writer specifically mentioned the editorials of April 17, 1972 ("Paper activists"), and May 29, 1972 ("Who are you? "), noting that they seemed designed to "castigate and demean various sectors of the membership." Although C&EN editorials may seek to prod, they don't aim at castigating or demeaning any portion of the membership. Nor do we think any have. With the 164th National Meeting of ACS starting today in New York, this might be a good time to restate what we think C&EN is all about. C&EN is a weekly chemical magazine of news, comment, and perspective, as well as the official publication of ACS. It is meant to make readers aware of events and trends that may affect them as chemists. You may not always find the information and opinion we publish palatable or corresponding to your own views. We hope you find it useful. C&EN is not a review journal, trade magazine, "How-to" book, or house organ, in the propaganda sense. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with those kinds of publications. It's simply that we, and more importantly, most of our readers, see C&EN as something different. The difference is related to the nature of chemistry. For our science cuts across life as does no other. This means that our reader interests vary considerably. Our editorial program must reflect this fact. Otherwise, we would appeal only to a specific segment of the membership, in effect, would be partisan, even a propaganda outlet for a certain viewpoint. Thus, there are few areas of useful consensus when it comes to a news publication such as C&EN. Broadly speaking, we know who you are, what you do, where you work. We do not know precisely what each of you as individuals needs. The best we can do is put out an editorial package balanced roughly according to reader mix and interests and according to our reading of the chemical world and what we think it may mean to you. At any given time, some will be unhappy with us. But what counts is overall performance and continuing reader interest, pro and con. Surveys document that interest. The letter-writer we referred to at the outset took us to task for being too "negative. " Criticism of any kind may strike some as negative. But if the purpose of the criticism is to suggest alternate, possibly more fruitful approaches that can be implemented within our ACS framework, then it is in reality positive. We think C&EN's editorial approach meets this test of positiveness. On the other hand, we have in our midst a clandestine group that consistently accentuates the negative. We are referring to the Silent Society, an anonymous group that has been trying to exploit current economic problems of chemists and which seems bent on destroying the Society. In its most recent mailing, the Silent Society, or TSS, as it likes to call itself, continues to cry "conspiracy" in connection with all efforts not to its liking. Thus, TSS ridicules ACS's revised employer guidelines, which it brands "new and phonier. " The TSS solution? "Expel from the profession those 40,000 chemists and chemical engineers who are opposed to a strong professional organization or union . . . " License the rest. Set up college admissions quotas. Banish academicians exceeding the quota. Strike. Well, it's the familiar to-the-wall approach of most revolutionaries. Silence the opposition. We doubt that it will snare many of you. For salvation lies in maintaining an Open Society—not a Silent Society—not a Special Interest Society—not an Ivory Tower Society—and not a Closed Society. C&EN can help in maintaining such a Society. In doing so, though, we have to mix bad news with good. Patrick P. McCurdy C&EN EDITORIALS REPRESENT ONLY THE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR AND AIM AT TRIGGERING INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION.
August 28, 1972 C&EN
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